UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


"  A  party  of  girls  tossing  their  arms  about  and  splashing  water 
like  porpoises." 
frontispiece.  — Page  20. 


moo 


A   Narrative    of 
Adventures  in  the  South  Seas 

BY 
HERMAN  MELVILLE 

Author  of  "Typee,"  "Moby  Dick,"   "White  Jacket,"  etc 


BOSTON 

THE  ST.  BOTOLPH  SOCIETY 

53  Beacon  Street 


HpflnniKo&nngngg 


Copyright,  i8g2, 
By  Elizabeth  S.  Melvillb 


Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


Third  Impression,  August,  1919 
Fourth  Impression,  June,  1921 
Fifth  Impression,  February,  1922 


PRINTED    BY   C.  H.  SIMONDS   COMPANY 

BOSTON,  MASS.,  U.S.A. 


ib 


to 

Ibcrntan  (Bansevoort 

OP  GANSEVOORT,  SARATOGA  COUNTY.  NEW  YORK 

THIS   x>VORK 

IS  CORDIALLY  INSCRIBED,  BY  HIS  NEPHEW 

Gbe  Butbor 


PREFACE. 


Nowhere,  perhaps,  are  the  proverbial  characteristics 
of  sailors  shown  under  wilder  aspects  than  in  the  South 
Seas.  For  the  most  part,  the  vessels  navigating  those 
remote  waters  are  engaged  in  the  Sperm  Whale  Fish- 
ery; a  business  which  is  not  only  peculiarly  fitted  to 
attract  the  most  reckless  seamen  of  all  nations,  but  in 
various  ways  is  calculated  to  foster  in  them  a  spirit  of 
the  utmost  license.  These  voyages,  also,  are  unusually 
long  and  perilous ;  the  only  harbours  accessible  are 
among  the  barbarous  or  semi-civilized  islands  of  Poly- 
nesia, or  along  the  lawless  western  coast  of  South 
America.  Hence,  scenes  the  most  novel,  and  not 
directly  connected  with  the  business  of  whaling,  fre- 
quently occur  among  the  crews  of  ships  in  the  Pacific. 

Without  pretending  to  give  any  account  of  the 
whale-fishery  (for  the  scope  of  the  narrative  does  not 
embrace  the  subject),  it  is  partly  the  object  of  this  work 
to  convey  some  idea  of  the  kind  of  life  to  which  allu- 
sion is  made,  by  means  of  a  circumstantial  history  of 
adventures  befalling  the  author. 

Another  object  proposed  is,  to  give  a  familiar  ac- 
count of  the  present  condition  of  the  converted  Poly- 
nesians, as   affected   by  thek   promiscuous   intercourse 

v 


Yl  PEE  FACE. 

with  foreigners,  and  the  teachings  of  the  missionaries, 
combined. 

As  a  roving  sailor,  the  author  spent  about  three 
months  in  various  parts  of  the  islands  of  Tahiti  and 
Imeeo,  and  under  circumstances  most  favorable  for  cor- 
rect observations  on  the  social  condition  of  the  natives. 

In  every  statement  connected  with  missionary  opera- 
tions, a  strict  adherence  to  facts  has,  of  course,  been 
scrupulously  observed ;  and  in  some  instances,  it  has 
even  been  deemed  advisable  to  quote  previous  voyages, 
in  corroboration  of  what  is  offered  as  the  fruit  of  the 
author's  own  observations.  Nothing  but  an  earnest  de- 
sire for  truth  and  good  has  led  him  to  touch  upon  this 
subject  at  all.  And  if  he  refrains  from  offering  hints 
as  to  the  best  mode  of  remedying  the  evils  which  are 
pointed  out,  it  is  only  because  he  thinks,  that  after 
being  made  acquainted  with  the  facts,  others  are  bet- 
ter qualified  to  do  so. 

Should  a  little  jocoseness  be  shown  upon  some  curi- 
ous traits  of  the  Tahitians,  it  proceeds  from  no  inten- 
tion to  ridicule :  things  are  merely  described  as,  from 
their  entire  novelty,  they  first  struck  an  unbiased  ob- 
server. 

The  present  narrative  necessarily  begins  where 
"Typee"  concludes,  but  has  no  further  connection 
with  the  latter  work.  All,  therefore,  necessary  for 
the  reader  to  understand,  who  has  not  read  "  Typee," 
is  given  in  a  brief  introduction. 

No  journal  was  kept  by  the  author  during  his  wan- 
derings in  the  South  Seas;  so  that,  in   preparing  the 


PREFACE.  vii 

ensuing  chapters  for  the  press,  precision  with  re- 
spect to  dates  would  have  been  impossible;  and  every 
occurrence  has  been  put  down  from  simple  recollection. 
The  frequency,  however,  with  which  these  incidents 
have  been  verbally  related,  has  tended  to  stamp  them 
upon  the  memory. 

Although  it  is  believed  that  one  or  two  imperfect 
Polynesian  vocabularies  have  been  published,  none  of 
the  Tahitian  dialect  has  as  yet  appeared.  At  any  rate, 
the  author  has  had  access  to  none  whatever.  In  the 
use  of  the  native  words,  therefore,  he  has  been  mostly 
governed  by  the  bare  recollection  of  sounds. 

Upon  several  points  connected  with  the  history  and 
ancient  customs  of  Tahiti,  collateral  information  has  been 
obtained  from  the  oldest  books  of  South  Sea  voyages, 
and  also  from  the  "  Polynesian   Researches  "  of  Ellis. 

The  title  of  the  work  —  Omoo  —  is  borrowed  from 
the  dialect  of  the  Marquesas  Islands,  where,  among 
other  uses,  the  word  signifies  a  rover,  or  rather,  a 
person  wandering  from  one  island  to  another,  like 
some  of  the  natives  known  among  their  countrymen 
as  "  Taboo  kanakes." 

In  no  respect  does  the  author  make  pretensions  to 
philosophic  research.  In  a  familiar  way,  he  has  merely 
described  what  he  has  seen ;  and  if  reflections  are 
occasionally  indulged  in,  they  are  spontaneous,  and 
such  as  would  very  probably  suggest  themselves  to  the 
most  casual  observer. 

New  York,  January  28,  1847. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Introduction xi 

I.     My  Reception  Aboard 1 

II.     Some  Account  of  the  Ship 6 

III.  Further  Account  of  the  Julia 11 

IV.  A  Scene  in  the  Forecastle 15 

V.     What  happened  at  Hytyhoo 19 

VI.     We  touch  at  La  Dominica 23 

VII.     What  happened  at  Hannamanoo 26 

VIII.     The  Tattooers  of  La  Dominica 30 

IX.  We  steer  to  the  Westward.  —  State  of  Affairs     .     .  34 

X.  A  Sea-Parlour  described,  with  some  of  its  Tenants,  40 

XI.  Doctor  Long  Ghost  a  Wag.  —  One  of  his  Capers      .  44 

XII.     Death  and  Burial  of  two  of  the  Crew 47 

XIII.  Our  Destination  changed 54 

XIV.  Hope- Yarn 56 

XV.     Chips  and  Bungs 61 

XVI.     We  encounter  a  Gale 63 

XVII.     The  Coral  Islands 66 

XVIII.     Tahiti 71 

XIX.     A  Surprise.  —  More  about  Bembo 74 

XX.  The  Round-Robin. —Visitors  from  Shore.     ...  80 

XXI.     Proceedings  of  the  Consul 87 

XXII.     The  Consul's  Departure 93 

XXIII.  The  Second  Night  off  Papeetee 96 

XXIV.  Outbreak  of  the  Crew 102 

XXV.     Jermin  encounters  an  Old  Shipmate 105 

ix 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 
XXVI. 

""xxvn. 


XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 

XXXV. 

XXXVI. 

XXXVII. 

XXXVIII. 

XXXIX. 

XL. 

XLI. 

XLII. 

XLIII. 

XLIV. 

XLV. 

XLVI. 

XL  VII. 

XLVIII. 

XLIX. 

L. 

LI. 

LII. 

LIII. 

LIV. 

LV. 

LVI. 


PAGB 

We  enter  the  Harbour.  —  Jim  the  Pilot  ....  108 
A  Glance  at  Papeetee.  —  We  are  sent  aboard  the 

Frigate 114 

Reception  from  the  Frenchman 119 

The  Keine  Blanche 121 

They  take  us  Ashore.  —  What  happened  there   .     .  126 

The  Calabooza  Beretanee 130 

Proceedings  of  the  French  at  Tahiti 137 

We  receive  Calls  at  the  Hotel  de  Calabooza   .     .     .  143 

Life  at  the  Calabooza 148 

Visit  from  an  Old  Acquaintance 151 

We  are  carried  before  the  Consul  and  Captain    .     .  157 

The  French  Priests  pay  their  Respects 161 

Little  Jule  sails  without  us 166 

Jermin  serves  us  a  Good  Turn.  —  Friendships  in 

Polynesia 172 

We  take  unto  ourselves  Friends 177 

We  levy  Contributions  on  the  Shipping      ....  180 

Motoo-Otoo. — A  Tahitian  Casuist 184 

One  is  judged  by  the  Company  he  keeps  ....  188 
Cathedral  of  Papoar.  —  The  Church  of  the  Cocoa 

Nuts 190 

A  Missionary's  Sermon;  with  some  Reflections  .     .  195 

Something  about  the  Kannakippers 201 

How  they  dress  in  Tahiti 206 

Tahiti  as  it  is  .     .' 210 

Same  Subject  continued 217 

Something  happens  to  Long  Ghost 222 

Wilson  gives  us  the  Cut. — Departure  for  Imeeo    .  226 

The  Valley  of  Martair 231 

Farming  in  Polynesia 235 

Some  Account  of  the  Wild  Cattle  in  Polynesia  .     .  240 

A  Hunting  Ramble  with  Zeke 244 

Musquitoes 248 


CONTENTS. 


XI 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

LVIL  The  Second  Hunt  in  the  Mountains  ......  251 

LVIII.  The  Hunting-Feast;  and  a  Visit  to  Afrehitoo    .    .  257 

LIX.     The  Murphies 260 

LX.     What  they  thought  of  us  in  Martair 264 

LXI.     Preparing  for  the  Journey 268 

LXII.     Tamai 272 

LXIII.     A  Dance  in  the  Valley 275 

LXIV.     Mysterious .  278 

LXV.     The  Hegira,  or  Flight 280 

LXVI.     How  we  were  to  get  to  Taloo 286 

LXVII.     The  Journey  round  the  Beach 288 

LXVIII.     A  Dinner-Party  in  Imee/i 295 

LXIX.     The  Cocoa-Palm 300 

LXX.     Life  at  Loohooloo 305 

LXXI.     We  start  for  Taloo 307 

LXXII.     A  Dealer  in  the  Contraband 31) 

LXXIII.     Our  Reception  in  Partoowy*    , 317 

LXXIV.  Retiring  for  the  Night.  —  The  Doctor  grows  devout  323 

LXXV.     A  Ramble  through  the  Settlement 326 

LXXVI.     An  Island  Jilt.  —We  visit  the  Ship 330 

LXXVIL  A  Party  of  Rovers.  — Little  Loo  and  the.  Doctor     .  335 

LXXVIII.     Mrs.  Bell 339 

LXXIX.  Taloo  Chapel.  —  Holding  Court  in  Polynesia      .     .  341 

LXXX.     Queen  Pomaree 347 

LXXXL     We  visit  the  Court 353 

LXXXII.     Which  ends  the  Book 359 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 
"A     PARTY      OF     GIRLS     TOSSING     THEIR     ARMS     ABOUT 
AND     SPLASHING     WATER     LIKE    PORPOISES  "    {Page 

20)   ........  Frontispiece 

"  Rushing    in     all    around,    they     hauled    the 

savage  off "  .......       98 

"  With    the    stock  of    his  gun,  the   old  warder 

fetched  a  tremendous  blow  "  .         .         .         .     185 

"  i    saluted    him    with   a    charge    as    he    disap- 
PEARED " 245 


INTRODUCTION. 


In  the  summer  of  1842,  the  author  of  this  narrative, 
as  a  sailor  before  the  mast,  visited  the  Marquesas  Islands 
in  an  American  South-Seaman.  At  the  island  of  Nuku- 
heva  he  left  his  vessel,  which  afterwards  sailed  without 
him.  Wandering  in  the  interior,  he  came  upon  the  val- 
ley of  Typee,  inhabited  by  a  primitive  tribe  of  savages, 
from  which  valley  a  fellow-sailor  who  accompanied  him 
soon  afterward  effected  his  escape.  The  author,  how- 
ever, was  detained  in  an  indulgent  captivity  for  about 
the  space  of  four  months ;  at  the  end  of  which  period  he 
escaped  in  a  boat  which  visited  the  bay. 

This  boat  belonged  to  a  vessel  in  need  of  men,  which 
had  recently  touched  at  a  neighbouring  harbour  of  the 
same  island,  where  the  captain  had  been  informed  of  the 
author's  detention  in  Typee.  Desirous  of  adding  to  his 
crew,  he  sailed  round  thither,  and  "hove  to"  off  the 
mouth  of  the  bay.  As  the  Tj^pees  were  considered  hos- 
tile, the  boat,  manned  by  taboo  natives  from  the  other 
harbour,  was  then  sent  in,  with  an  interpreter  at  their 
head,  to  procure  the  author's  release.  This  was  finally 
accomplished,  though  not  without  peril  to  all  concerned. 
At  the  time  of  his  escape,  the  author  was  suffering 
severely  from  lameness. 

The  boat  having  gained  the  open  sea,  the  ship 
appeared  in  the  distance.  Here  the  present  narrative 
opens. 

xiii 


OMOO. 


CHAPTER   I. 

MY  RECEPTION   ABOARD. 

It  was  in  the  middle  of  a  bright  tropical  afternoon 
that  we  made  good  our  escape  from  the  bay.  The  ves- 
sel that  we  sought  lay  with  her  main  top-sail  aback  about 
a  league  from  the  land,  and  was  the  only  object  that 
broke  the  broad  expanse  of  the  ocean. 

On  approaching,  she  turned  out  to  be  a  small,  slat- 
ternly looking  craft,  her  hull  and  spars  a  dingy  black, 
rigging  all  slack  and  bleached  nearly  white,  and  every- 
thing denoting  an  ill  state  of  affairs  aboard.  The 
four  boats  hanging  from  her  sides  proclaimed  her  a 
whaler.  Leaning  carelessly  over  the  bulwarks  were  the 
sailors,  wild,  haggard-looking  fellows  in  Scotch  caps 
and  faded  blue  frocks ;  some  of  them  with  cheeks  of 
a  mottled  bronze,  to  which  sickness  soon  changes  the 
rich  berry  brown  of  a  seaman's  complexion  in  the 
tropics. 

On  the  quarter-deck  was  one  whom  I  took  for  the 
chief  mate.  He  wore  a  broad-brimmed  Panama  hat,  and 
his  spy-glass  was  levelled  as  we  advanced. 

When  we  came  alongside,  a  low  cry  ran  fore  and  aft 
the  deck,  and  everybody  gazed  at  us  with  inquiring 


2  OMOO. 

eyes.  And  well  they  might.  To  say  nothing  of  the 
savage  boat's  crew,  panting  with  excitement,  all  gesture 
and  vociferation,  my  own  appearance  was  calculated 
to  excite  curiosity.  A  robe  of  the  native  cloth  was 
thrown  over  my  shoulders,  my  hair  and  beard  were 
uncut,  and  I  betrayed  other  evidences  of  my  recent 
adventure.  Immediately  on  gaining  the  deck  they 
beset  me  on  all  sides  with  questions,  the  half  of 
which  I  could  not  answer,  so  incessantly  were  they 
put. 

As  an  instance  of  the  curious  coincidences  which  often 
befall  the  sailor,  I  must  here  mention,  that  two  counte- 
nances before  me  were  familiar.  One  was  that  of  an 
old  man-of-war's  man  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made 
in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  at  which  place  touched  the  ship  in 
which  I  sailed  from  home.  The  other  was  a  young 
man,  whom,  four  years  previous,  I  had  frequently  met 
in  a  sailor  boarding-house  in  Liverpool.  I  remembered 
parting  with  him  at  Prince's  Dock  Gates,  in  the  midst 
of  a  swarm  of  police-officers,  truckmen,  stevedores,  beg- 
gars, and  the  like.  And  here  we  are  again: — years 
had  rolled  by,  many  a  league  of  ocean  had  been  trav- 
ersed, and  we  were  thrown  together  under  circum- 
stances which  almost  made  me  doubt  my  own  existence. 

But  a  few  moments  passed  ere  I  was  sent  for  into  the 
cabin  by  the  captain. 

He  was  quite  a  young  man,  pale  and  slender,  more 
like  a  sickly  counting-house  clerk  than  a  bluff  sea-cap- 
tain. Bidding  me  be  seated,  he  ordered  the  steward  to 
hand  me  a  glass  of  Pisco.1     In  the  state  I  was,  this 


1  This  spirituous  liquor  derives  its  name  from  a  considerable  town  in 
Peru,  where  it  is  manufactured  in  large  quantities.  It  is  well  known 
along  the  whole  western  coast  of  South  America,  whence  some  of  it  has 
been  exported  to  Australia.    It  is  very  cheap. 


MY  RECEPTION  ABOARD.  3 

stimulus  almost  made  me  delirious ;  so  that  of  all  I  then 
went  on  to  relate,  concerning  my  residence  on  the 
island,  I  can  scarcely  remember  a  word.  After  this  I 
was  asked  whether  I  desired  to  "ship;"  of  course  I  said 
yes;  that  is,  if  he  would  allow  me  to  enter  for  one 
cruise,  engaging  to  discharge  me,  if  I  so  desired,  at  the 
next  port.  In  this  way  men  are  frequently  shipped  on 
board  whalemen  in  the  South  Seas.  My  stipulation 
was  acceded  to,  and  the  ship's  articles  handed  me  to 
sign. 

The  mate  was  now  called  below,  and  charged  to  make 
a  "  well  man  "  of  me  ;  not,  let  it  be  borne  in  mind,  that 
the  captain  felt  any  great  compassion  for  me,  he  only 
desired  to  have  the  benefit  of  my  services  as  soon  as 
possible. 

Helping  me  on  deck,  the  mate  stretched  me  out  on 
the  windlass  and  commenced  examining  my  limb;  and 
then  doctoring  it  after  a  fashion  with  something  from 
the  medicine-chest,  rolled  it  up  in  a  piece  of  an  old  sail, 
making  so  big  a  bundle,  that  with  my  feet  resting  on 
the  windlass,  I  might  have  been  taken  for  a  sailor  with 
the  gout.  While  this  was  going  on,  some  one  removing 
my  tappa  cloak  slipped  on  a  blue  frock  in  its  place ; 
and  another,  actuated  by  the  same  desire  to  make  a 
civilised  mortal  of  me,  flourished  about  my  head  a 
great  pair  of  sheep-shears,  to  the  imminent  jeopardy 
of  both  ears,  and  the  certain  destruction  of  hair  and 
beard. 

The  day  was  now  drawing  to  a  close,  and,  as  the  land 
faded  from  my  sight,  I  was  all  alive  to  the  change  in 
my  condition.  But  how  far  short  of  our  expectations 
is  oftentimes  the  fulfilment  of  the  most  ardent  hopes ! 
Safe  aboard  of  a  ship  —  so  long  my  earnest  prayer — 
with  home  and  friends  once  more  in  prospect,  I  never- 


4  OMOO. 

theless  felt  weighed  down  by  a  melancholy  that  could 
not  be  shaken  off.  It  was  the  thought  of  never  more 
seeing  those,  who,  notwithstanding  their  desire  to  re- 
tain me  a  captive,  had,  upon  the  whole,  treated  me  so 
kindly.     I  was  leaving  them  forever. 

So  unforeseen  and  sudden  had  been  my  escape,  so  ex- 
cited had  I  been  through  it  all,  and  so  great  the  con- 
trast between  the  luxurious  repose  of  the  valley,  and 
the  wild  noise  and  motion  of  a  ship  at  sea,  that  at  times 
my  recent  adventures  had  all  the  strangeness  of  a 
dream:  and  I  could  scarcely  believe  that  the  same  sun 
now  setting  over  a  waste  of  waters,  had  that  very  morn- 
ing risen  above  the  mountains  and  peered  in  upon  me 
as  I  lay  on  my  mat  in  Typee. 

Going  below  into  the  forecastle  just  after  dark,  I  was 
inducted  into  a  wretched  "  bunk  "  or  sleeping-box  built 
over  another.  The  rickety  bottoms  of  both  were  spread 
with  several  pieces  of  a  blanket.  A  battered  tin  can 
was  then  handed  me,  containing  about  half  a  pint  of 
"tea"  —  so  called  by  courtesy,  though  whether  the 
juice  of  such  stalks  as  one  finds  floating  therein  de- 
serves that  title,  is  a  matter  all  ship-owners  must  settle 
with  their  consciences.  A  cube  of  salt  beef,  on  a  hard 
round  biscuit  by  way  of  platter,  was  also  handed  up; 
and  without  more  ado  I  made  a  meal,  the  salt  flavour  of 
which,  after  the  Nebuchadnezzar  fare  of  the  valley,  was 
positively  delicious. 

While  thus  engaged,  an  old  sailor  on  a  chest  just 
under  me  was  puffing  out  volumes  of  tobacco  smoke. 
My  supper  finished,  he  brushed  the  stem  of  his  sooty 
pipe  against  the  sleeve  of  his  frock,  and  politely  waved 
it  toward  me.  The  attention  was  sailor-like;  as  for  the 
nicety  of  the  thing,  no  man  who  has  lived  in  forecastles 
is  at  all  fastidious ;  and  so,  after  a  few  vigorous  whiffs  to 


MY  RECEPTION  ABOARD.  5 

induce  repose,  I  turned  over  and  tried  my  best  to  forget 
myself.  But  in  vain.  My  crib,  instead  of  extending  fore 
and  aft,  as  it  should  have  done,  was  placed  athwart- 
ships,  that  is,  at  right  angles  to  the  keel ;  and  the  vessel 
going  before  the  wind,  rolled  to  such  a  degree,  that 
every  time  my  heels  went  up  and  my  head  went  down, 
I  thought  I  was  on  the  point  of  turning  a  somerset. 
Beside  this,  there  were  still  more  annoying  causes  of 
inquietude;  and,  every  once  in  a  while,  a  splash  of 
water  came  down  the  open  scuttle,  and  flung  the  spray 
in  my  face. 

At  last,  after  a  sleepless  night,  broken  twice  by  the 
merciless  call  of  the  watch,  a  peep  of  daylight  struggled 
into  view  from  above,  and  some  one  came  below.  It 
was  my  old  friend  with  the  pipe. 

"Here,  shipmate,"  said  I,  "help  me  out  of  this  place, 
and  let  me  go  on  deck." 

"Halloa,  who's  that  croaking?"  was  the  rejoinder,  as 
he  peered  into  the  obscurity  where  I  lay.  "Ay,  Typee, 
my  king  of  the  cannibals,  is  it  you  ?  But  I  say,  my  lad, 
how's  that  spar  of  your'n?  the  mate  says  it's  in  a  devil 
of  a  way;  and  last  night  set  the  steward  to  sharpen- 
ing the  handsaw:  hope  he  won't  have   the  carving  of 

ye." 

Long  before  daylight  we  arrived  off  the  bay  of  Nuku- 
heva,  and,  making  short  tacks  until  morning,  we  then 
ran  in,  and  sent  a  boat  ashore  with  the  natives  who  had 
brought  me  to  the  ship.  Upon  its  return  we  made  sail 
again,  and  stood  off  from  the  land.  There  was  a  fine 
breeze;  and,  notwithstanding  my  bad  night's  rest,  the 
cool  fresh  air  of  a  morning  at  sea  was  so  bracing,  that, 
as  soon  as  I  breathed  it,  my  spirits  rose  at  once. 

Seated  upon  the  windlass  the  greater  portion  of  the 


6  OMOO. 

day,  and  chatting  freely  with  the  men,  I  learned  the 
history  of  the  voyage  thus  far,  and  everything  respect- 
ing the  ship  and  its  present  condition. 

These  matters  I  will  now  throw  together  in  the  next 
chapter. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SOME  ACCOUNT   OF   THE   SHIP. 

First  and  foremost,  I  must  give  some  account  of  the 
Julia  herself,  or  "  Little  Jule,"  as  the  sailors  familiarly 
styled  her. 

She  was  a  small  barque  of  a  beautiful  model,  some- 
thing more  than  two  hundred  tons,  Yankee-built,  and 
very  old.  Fitted  for  a  privateer  out  of  a  New  England 
port  during  the  war  of  1812,  she  had  been  captured  at 
sea  by  a  British  cruiser,  and,  after  seeing  all  sorts  of 
service,  was  at  last  employed  as  a  government  packet 
in  the  Australian  seas.  Being  condemned,  however, 
about  two  years  previous,  she  was  purchased  at  auction 
by  a  house  in  Sydney,  who,  after  some  slight  repairs, 
despatched  her  on  the  present  voyage. 

Notwithstanding  the  repairs,  she  was  still  in  a  miser- 
able plight.  The  lower  masts  were  said  to  be  unsound ; 
the  standing  rigging  was  much  worn ;  and,  in  some 
places,  even  the  bulwarks  were  quite  rotten.  Still,  she 
was  tolerably  tight,  and  but  little  more  than  the  ordi- 
nary pumping  of  a  morning  served  to  keep  her  free. 

But  all  this  had  nothing  to  do  with  her  sailing ;  at 
that,  brave  Little  Jule,  plump  Little  Jule,  was  a  witch. 
Blow  high,  or  blow  low,  she  was  always  ready  for  the 


SOME  ACCOUNT  OF   THE  SHIP.  7 

breeze ;  and  when  she  dashed  the  waves  from  her  prow, 
and  pranced,  and  pawed  the  sea,  you  never  thought  of 
her  patched  sails  and  blistered  hull.  How  the  fleet 
creature  would  fly  before  the  wind !  rolling,  now  and 
then,  to  be  sure,  but  in  very  playfulness.  Sailing  to 
windward,  no  gale  could  bow  her  over:  with  spars 
erect,  she  looked  right  up  into  the  wind's  eye,  and  so 
she  went. 

But  after  all,  Little  Jule  was  not  to  be  confided  in. 
Lively  enough,  and  playful  she  was,  but  on  that  very 
account  the  more  to  be  distrusted.  Who  knew,  but 
that  like  some  vivacious  old  mortal  all  at  once  sinking 
into  a  decline,  she  might,  some  dark  night,  spring  a 
leak  and  carry  us  all  to  the  bottom?  However,  she 
played  us  no  such  ugly  trick,  and  therefore  I  wrong 
Little  Jule  in  supposing  it. 

She  had  a  free,  roving  commission.  According  to  her 
papers  she  might  go  whither  she  pleased  —  whaling, 
sealing,  or  anything  else.  Sperm  whaling,  however, 
was  what  she  relied  upon ;  though,  as  yet,  only  two  fish 
had  been  brought  alongside. 

The  day  they  sailed  out  of  Sydney  Heads,  the  ship's 
company,  all  told,  numbered  some  thirty-two  souls ; 
now,  they  mustered  about  twenty ;  the  rest  had  de- 
serted. Even  the  three  junior  mates  who  had  headed 
the  whale-boats  were  gone.;  and  of  the  four  harpooners, 
only  one  was  left,  a  wild  New  Zealander,  or  "  Mowree" 
as  his  countrymen  are  more  commonly  called  in  the 
Pacific.  But  this  was  not  all.  More  than  half  the  sea- 
men remaining  were  more  or  less  unwell  from  a  long 
sojourn  in  a  dissipated  port ;  some  of  them  wholly  unfit 
for  duty,  one  or  two  dangerously  ill,  and  the  rest  man- 
aging to  stand  their  watch,  though  they  could  do  but 
little. 


8  OMOO. 

The  captain  was  a  young  cockney,  who,  a  few  years 
before,  had  emigrated  to  Australia,  and,  by  some  favour- 
itism or  other,  had  procured  the  command  of  the  vessel, 
though  in  no  wise  competent.  He  was  essentially  a 
landsman,  and  though  a  man  of  education,  no  more 
meant  for  the  sea  than  a  hair-dresser.  Hence  every- 
body made  fun  of  him.  They  called  him  "  The  Cabin 
Boy,"  "  Paper  Jack,"  and  half  a  dozen  other  undignified 
names.  In  truth,  the  men  made  no  secret  of  the  deris- 
ion in  which  they  held  him ;  and  as  for  the  slender 
gentleman  himself,  he  knew  it  all  very  well,  and  bore 
himself  with  becoming  meekness.  Holding  as  little  in- 
tercourse with  them  as  possible,  he  left  everthing  to 
the  chief  mate,  who,  as  the  story  went,  had  been  given 
his  captain  in  charge.  Yet,  despite  his  unobtrusiveness, 
the  silent  captain  had  more  to  do  with  the  men  than 
they  thought.  In  short,  although  one  of  your  sheepish- 
looking  fellows,  he  had  a  sort  of  still,  timid  cunning, 
which  no  one  would  have  suspected,  and  which,  for 
that  very  reason,  was  all  the  more  active.  So  the  bluff: 
mate,  who  always  thought  he  did  what  he  pleased,  was 
occasionally  made  a  tool  of ;  and  some  obnoxious  meas- 
ures which  he  carried  out,  in  spite  of  all  growlings, 
were  little  thought  to  originate  with  the  dapper  little 
fellow  in  nankeen  jacket  and  white  canvas  pumps. 
But,  to  all  appearance,  at  least,  the  mate  had  everything 
his  own  way ;  indeed,  in  most  things  this  was  actually 
the  case ;  and  it  was  quite  plain  that  the  captain  stood 
in  awe  of  him. 

So  far  as  courage,  seamanship,  and  a  natural  aptitude 
for  keeping  riotous  spirits  in  subjection  were  concerned, 
no  man  was  better  qualified  for  his  vocation  than  John 
Jermin.  He  was  the  very  beau-ideal  of  the  efficient 
race  of  short,  thick-set  men.     His  hair  curled  in  little 


SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  SHIP.  9 

rings  of  iron  grey  all  over  his  round,  bullet  head.  As 
for  his  countenance,  it  was  strongly  marked,  deeply 
pitted  with  the  small-pox.  For  the  rest,  there  was  a 
fierce  little  squint  out  of  one  eye  ;  the  nose  had  a  rakish 
twist  to  one  side;  while  his  large  mouth,  and  great 
white  teeth,  looked  absolutely  sharkish  when  he  laughed. 
In  a  word,  no  one,  after  getting  a  fair  look  at  him, 
would  ever  think  of  improving  the  shape  of  his  nose, 
wanting  in  symmetry  if  it  was.  Notwithstanding  his 
pugnacious  looks,  however,  Jermin  had  a  heart  as  big  as 
a  bollock's  ;  that  you  saw  at  a  glance. 

Such  was  our  mate ;  but  he  had  one  failing :  he  ab- 
horred all  weak  infusions,  and  cleaved  manfully  to 
strong  drink.  At  all  times  he  was  more  or  less  under 
the  influence  of  it.  Taken  in  moderate  quantities,  I 
believe,  in  my  soul,  it  did  a  man  like  him  good; 
brightened  his  eyes,  swept  the  cobwebs  out  of  his  brain, 
and  regulated  his  pulse.  But  the  worst  of  it  was,  that 
sometimes  he  drank  too  much,  and  a  more  obstreperous 
fellow  than  Jermin  in  his  cups,  you  seldom  came 
across.  He  was  always  for  having  a  fight;  but  the 
very  men  he  flogged  loved  him  as  a  brother,  for  he  had 
such  an  irresistibly  good-natured  way  of  knocking  them 
down,  that  no  one  could  find  it  in  his  heart  to  bear 
malice  against  him.     So  much  for  stout  little  Jermin. 

All  English  whalemen  are  bound  by  law  to  carry  a 
physician,  who,  of  course,  is  rated  a  gentleman,  and 
lives  in  the  cabin,  with  nothing  but  his  professional 
duties  to  attend  to  ;  but  incidentally  he  drinks  "  flip," 
and  plays  cards  with  the  captain.  There  was  such  a 
worthy  aboard  of  the  Julia;  but,  curious  to  tell,  he 
lived  in  the  forecastle  with  the  men.  And  this  was  the 
way  it  happened. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  voyage  the  doctor  and  the 


10  OMOO. 

captain  lived  together  as  pleasantly  as  could  be.  To 
say  nothing  of  many  a  can  they  drank  over  the  cabin 
transom,  both  of  them  had  read  books,  and  one  of  them 
had  travelled;  so  their  stories  never  flagged.  But 
once  on  a  time  they  got  into  a  dispute  about  politics, 
and  the  doctor,  moreover,  getting  into  a  rage,  drove 
home  an  argument  with  his  fist,  and  left  the  captain  on 
the  floor  literally  silenced.  This  was  carrying  it  with 
a  high  hand  ;  so  he  was  shut  up  in  his  stateroom  for 
ten  days,  and  left  to  meditate  on  bread  and  water,  and 
the  impropriety  of  flying  into  a  passion.  Smarting 
under  his  disgrace,  he  undertook,  a  short  time  after  his 
liberation,  to  leave  the  vessel  clandestinely  at  one  of 
the  islands,  but  was  brought  back  ignominiously,  and 
again  shut  up.  Being  set  at  large  for  the  second  time, 
he  vowed  he  would  not  live  any  longer  with  the  cap- 
tain, and  went  forward  with  his  chests  among  the 
sailors,  where  he  was  received  with  open  arms,  as  a 
good  fellow  and  an  injured  man. 

I  must  give  some  further  account  of  him,  for  he  fig- 
ures largely  in  the  narrative.  His  early  history,  like 
that  of  many  other  heroes,  was  enveloped  in  the  pro- 
foundest  obscurity ;  though  he  threw  out  hints  of  a 
patrimonial  estate,  a  nabob  uncle,  and  an  unfortunate 
affair  which  sent  him  a-roving.  All  that  was  known, 
however,  was  this.  He  had  gone  out  to  Sydney  as 
assistant-surgeon  of  an  emigrant  ship.  On  his  arrival 
there,  he  went  back  into  the  country,  and  after  a  few 
months'  wanderings,  returned  to  Sydney  penniless,  and 
entered  as  a  doctor  aboard  of  the  Julia. 

His  personal  appearance  was  remarkable.  He  was 
over  six  feet  high  —  a  tower  of  bones,  with  a  complex- 
ion absolutely  colourless,  fair  hair,  and  a  light,  unscrupu- 
lous grey  eye,  twinkling   occasionally  with   the   very 


FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  JULIA.  11 

devil  of  mischief.  Among  the  crew,  he  went  by  the 
name  of  the  Long  Doctor,  or,  more  frequently  still, 
Doctor  Long  Ghost.  And  from  whatever  high  estate 
Doctor  Long  Ghost  might  have  fallen,  he  had  certainly 
at  some  time  or  other  spent  money,  drank  Burgundy, 
and  associated  with  gentlemen. 

As  for  his  learning,  he  quoted  Virgil,  and  talked  of 
Hobbes  of  Malms  bury,  besides  repeating  poetry  by  the 
canto,  especially  Hudibras.  He  was,  moreover,  a  man 
who  had  seen  the  world.  In  the  easiest  way  imaginable 
he  could  refer  to  an  amour  he  had  in  Palermo,  his  lion 
hunting  before  breakfast  among  the  Caffres,  and  the 
quality  of  the  coffee  to  be  drunk  in  Muscat ;  and  about 
these  places,  and  a  hundred  others,  he  had  more  anec- 
dotes than  I  can  tell  of.  Then  such  mellow  old  songs 
as  he  sang,  in  a  voice  so  round  and  racy,  the  real  juice 
of  sound.  How  such  notes  came  forth  from  his  lank 
body  was  a  constant  marvel. 

Upon  the  whole,  Long  Ghost  was  as  entertaining  a 
companion  as  one  could  wish ;  and  to  me  in  the  Julia, 
an  absolute  godsend. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FURTHER  ACCOUNT   OF   THE  JULIA. 

Owing  to  the  absence  of  anything  like  regular  dis- 
cipline, the  vessel  was  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  uproar. 
The  captain,  having  for  some  time  past  been  more  or 
less  confined  to  the  cabin  from  sickness,  was  seldom 
seen.  The  mate,  however,  was  as  hearty  as  a  young 
lion,  and  ran  about  the  decks  making  himself  heard  at 
all  hours.     Bembo,  the  New  Zealand  harpooner,  held 


12  OMOO. 

little  intercourse  with  anybody  but  the  mate,  who  could 
talk  to  him  freely  in  his  own  lingo.  Part  of  his  time 
he  spent  out  on  the  bowsprit,  fishing  for  albicores  with 
a  bone  hook ;  and  occasionally  he  waked  all  hands  up 
of  a  dark  night  dancing  some  cannibal  fandango  all  by 
himself  on  the  forecastle.  But,  upon  the  whole,  he 
was  remarkably  quiet,  though  something  in  his  eye 
showed  he  was  far  from  being  harmless. 

Doctor  Long  Ghost,  having  sent  in  a  written  resigna- 
tion as  the  ship's  doctor,  gave  himself  out  as  a  passen- 
ger for  Sydney,  and  took  the  world  quite  easy.  As  for 
the  crew,  those  who  were  sick  seemed  marvellously 
contented  for  men  in  their  condition  ;  and  the  rest,  not 
displeased  with  the  general  license,  gave  themselves 
little  thought  of  the  morrow. 

The  Julia's  provisions  were  very  poor.  When  opened, 
the  barrels  of  pork  looked  as  if  preserved  in  iron  rust, 
and  diffused  an  odour  like  a  stale  ragout.  The  beef  was 
worse  yet;  a  mahogany-coloured  fibrous  substance,  so 
tough  and  tasteless,  that  I  almost  believed  the  cook's 
story  of  a  horse's  hoof  with  the  shoe  on  having  been 
fished  up  out  of  the  pickle  of  one  of  the  casks.  Nor 
was  the  biscuit  much  better ;  nearly  all  of  it  was  broken 
into  hard  little  gunflints,  honey-combed  through  and 
through,  as  if  the  worms  usually  infesting  this  article 
in  long  tropical  voyages,  had,  in  boring  after  nutriment, 
come  out  at  the  antipodes  without  finding  anything. 

Of  what  sailor's  call  "  small  stores,"  we  had  but  little. 
"  Tea,"  however,  we  had  in  abundance  ;  though,  I  dare 
say,  the  Hong  merchants  never  had  the  shipping  of  it. 
Besides  this,  every  other  day  we  had  what  English  sea- 
men call  "  shot  soup  "  —  great  round  peas,  polishing 
themselves  like  pebbles  by  rolling  about  in  tepid  water. 

It  was  afterwards  told  me,  that  all  our  provisions  had 


FURTHER  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  JULIA.  13 

been  purchased  by  the  owners  at  an  auction  sale  of 
condemned  navy  stores  in  Sydney. 

But  notwithstanding  the  wateriness  of  the  first  course 
of  soup,  and  the  saline  flavour  of  the  beef  and  pork,  a 
sailor  might  have  made  a  satisfactory  meal  aboard  of 
the  Julia  had  there  been  any  side  dishes  —  a  potato  or 
two,  a  yam,  or  a  plantain.  But  there  was  nothing  of 
the  kind.  Still,  there  was  something  else,  which,  in  the 
estimation  of  the  men,  made  up  for  all  deficiencies ;  and 
that  was  the  regular  allowance  of  Pisco. 

It  may  seem  strange,  that  in  such  a  state  of  affairs 
the  captain  should  be  willing  to  keep  the  sea  with  his 
ship.  But  the  truth  was,  that  by  lying  in  harbour,  he 
ran  the  risk  of  losing  the  remainder  of  his  men  by  de- 
sertion :  and  as  it  was,  he  still  feared  that,  in  some  out- 
landish bay  or  other,  he  might  one  day  find  his  anchor 
down,  and  no  crew  to  weigh  it. 

With  judicious  officers  the  most  unruly  seamen  can 
at  sea  be  kept  in  some  sort  of  subjection ;  but  once  get 
them  within  a  cable's  length  of  the  land,  and  it  is  hard 
restraining  them.  It  is  for  this  reason,  that  many  South 
Sea  whalemen  do  not  come  to  an  anchor  for  eighteen  or 
twenty  months  on  a  stretch.  When  fresh  provisions 
are  needed,  they  run  for  the  nearest  land  —  heave  to 
eight  or  ten  miles  off,  and  send  a  boat  ashore  to  trade. 
The  crews  manning  vessels  like  these  are  for  the  most 
part  villains  of  all  nations  and  dyes  ;  picked  up  in  the 
lawless  ports  of  the  Spanish  Main,  and  among  the  sav- 
ages of  the  islands.  Like  galley-slaves,  they  are  only 
to  be  governed  by  scourges  and  chains.  Their  officers 
go  among  them  with  dirk  and  pistol  —  concealed,  but 
ready  at  a  grasp. 

Not  a  few  of  our  own  crew  were  men  of  this  stamp  -, 
but  riotous  at  times  as  they  were,  the   bluff,  drunken 


14  OMOO. 

energies  of  Jermin  were  just  the  thing  to  hold  them  in 
some  sort  of  noisy  subjection.  Upon  an  emergency,  he 
flew  in  among  them,  showering  his  kicks  and  cuffs  right 
and  left,  and  "  creating  a  sensation "  in  every  direc- 
tion. And,  as  hinted  before,  they  bore  this  knock- 
down authority  with  great  good-humour.  A  sober, 
discreet,  dignified  officer  could  have  done  nothing 
with  them ;  such  a  set  would  have  thrown  him  and  his 
dignity  over-board. 

Matters  being  thus,  there  was  nothing  for  the  ship 
but  to  keep  the  sea.  Nor  was  the  captain  without  hope 
that  the  invalid  portion  of  his  crew,  as  well  as  himself, 
would  soon  recover ;  and  then  there  was  no  telling  what 
luck  in  the  fishery  might  yet  be  in  store  for  us.  At  any 
rate,  at  the  time  of  my  coming  aboard,  the  report  was, 
that  Captain  Guy  was  resolved  upon  retrieving  the  past, 
and  filling  the  vessel  with  oil  in  the  shortest  space 
possible. 

With  this  intention,  we  were  now  shaping  our  course 
for  Hytyhoo,  a  village  on  the  island  of  St.  Christina  — 
one  of  the  Marquesas,  and  so  named  by  Mendana  —  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  eight  seamen,  who,  some  weeks 
before  had  stepped  ashore  there  from  the  Julia.  It  was 
supposed  that  by  this  time  they  must  have  recreated 
themselves  sufficiently,  and  would  be  glad  to  return  to 
their  duty. 

So  to  Hytyhoo,  with  all  our  canvas  spread,  and 
coquetting  with  the  warm,  breezy  Trades,  we  bowled 
along ;  gliding  up  and  down  the  long,  slow  swells,  the 
bonettas  and  albicores  frolicking  round  us. 


A   SCENE  IN  THE  FORECASTLE.  15 

CHAPTER  IV. 

A  SCENE   IN   THE   FORECASTLE. 

I  had  scarcely  be3n  aboard  of  the  ship  twenty-four 
hours  when  a  circumstance  occurred,  which,  although 
noways  picturesque,  is  so  significant  of  the  state  of 
affairs,  that  I  cannot  forbear  relating  it. 

In  the  first  place,  however,  it  must  be  known,  that 
among  the  crew  was  a  man  so  excessively  ugly,  that  he 
went  by  the  ironical  appellation  of  "  Beauty."  He  was 
the  ship's  carpenter ;  and  for  that  reason  was  sometimes 
known  by  his  nautical  cognomen  of  "  Chips."  There 
was  no  absolute  deformity  about  the  man ;  he  was  sym- 
metrically ugly.  But  ill-favoured  as  he  was  in  person, 
Beauty  was  none  the  less  ugly  in  temper ;  but  no  one 
could  blame  him ;  his  countenance  had  soured  his  heart. 
Now  Jermin  and  Beauty  were  always  at  sword's  points. 
The  truth  was,  the  latter  was  the  only  man  in  the  ship 
whom  the  mate  had  never  decidedly  got  the  better  of ; 
and  hence  the  grudge  he  bore  him.  As  for  Beauty,  he 
prided  himself  upon  talking  up  to  the  mate,  as  we  shall 
soon  see. 

Toward  evening  there  was  something  to  be  done 
on  deck,  and  the  carpenter  who  belonged  to  the  watch 
was  missing.  "  Where's  that  skulk,  Chips  ?  "  shouted 
Jermin  down  the  forecastle  scuttle. 

"  Taking  his  ease,  d'ye  see,  down  here  on  a  chest,  if 
you  want  to  know,"  replied  that  worthy  himself,  quietly 
withdrawing  his  pipe  from  his  mouth.  This  insolence 
flung  the  fiery  little  mate  into  a  mighty  rage ;  but 
Beauty  said   nothing,  puffing   away  with  all  the  tran- 


16  OMOO. 

quillity  imaginable.  Here  it  must  be  remembered  that, 
never  mind  what  may  be  the  provocation,  no  prudent 
officer  ever  dreams  of  entering  a  ship's  forecastle  on  a 
hostile  visit.  If  he  wants  to  see  anybody  who  happens 
to  be  there,  and  refuses  to  come  up,  why  he  must  wait 
patiently  until  the  sailor  is  willing.  The  reason  is  this. 
The  place  is  very  dark ;  and  nothing  is  easier  than  to 
knock  one  descending  on  the  head,  before  he  knows 
where  he  is,  and  a  very  long  while  before  he  ever  finds 
out  who  did  it. 

Nobody  knew  this  better  than  Jermin,  and  so  he  con- 
tented himself  with  looking  down  the  scuttle  and  storm- 
ing. At  last  Beauty  made  some  cool  observation  which 
set  him  half  wild. 

"  Tumble  on  deck,"  he  then  bellowed  —  "  come,  up 
with  you,  or  I'll  jump  down  and  make  you."  The  car- 
penter begged  him  to  go  about  it  at  once. 

No  sooner  said  than  done  ;  prudence  forgotten,  Jer- 
min was  there ;  and,  by  a  sort  of  instinct,  had  his  man 
by  the  throat  before  he  could  well  see  him.  One  of  the 
men  now  made  a  rush  at  him,  but  the  rest  dragged  him 
off,  protesting  that  they  should  have  fair  play. 

"  Now,  come  on  deck,"  shouted  the  mate,  struggling 
like  a  good  fellow  to  hold  the  carpenter  fast. 

"  Take  me  there,"  was  the  dogged  answer,  and  Beauty 
wriggled  about  in  the  nervous  grasp  of  the  other  like  a 
couple  of  yards  of  boa-constrictor. 

His  assailant  now  undertook  to  make  him  up  into  a 
compact  bundle,  the  more  easily  to  transport  him. 
While  thus  occupied,  Beauty  got  his  arms  loose,  and 
threw  him  over  backward.  But  Jermin  quickly  recov- 
ered himself,  when  for  a  time  they  had  it  every  way, 
dragging  each  other  about,  bumping  their  heads  against 
the  projecting  beams,  and  returning  each  other's  blows 


A   SCENE  IN   THE  FORECASTLE.  17 

the  first  favourable  opportunity  that  offered.  Unfortu- 
nately, Jermin  at  last  slipped  and  fell ;  his  foe  seating 
himself  on  his  chest,  and  keeping  him  down.  Now  this 
was  one  of  those  situations  in  wThich  the  voice  of  coun- 
sel, or  reproof,  comes  with  peculiar  unction.  Nor  did 
Beauty  let  the  opportunity  slip.  But  the  mate  said 
nothing  in  reply,  only  foaming  at  the  mouth  and  strug- 
gling to  rise. 

Just  then  a  thin  tremor  of  a  voice  was  heard  from 
above.  It  was  the  captain ;  who,  happening  to  ascend 
to  the  quarter-deck  at  the  commencement  of  the  scuffle, 
would  gladly  have  returned  to  the  cabin,  but  was  pre- 
vented by  the  fear  of  ridicule.  As  the  din  increased, 
and  it  became  evident  that  his  officer  was  in  serious 
trouble,  he  thought  it  would  never  do  to  stand  leaning 
over  the  bulwarks,  so  he  made  his  appearance  on  the 
forecastle,  resolved,  as  his  best  policy,  to  treat  the 
matter  lightly. 

"  Why,  why,"  he  began,  speaking  pettishly,  and  very 
fast,  "what's  all  this  about?  Mr.  Jermin,  Mr.  Jermin 
—  carpenter,  carpenter ;  what  are  you  doing  down  there  ? 
Come  on  deck  ;  come  on  deck." 

Whereupon  Doctor  Long  Ghost  cries  out  in  a  squeak, 
"Ah!  Miss  Guy,  is  that  you?  Now,  my  dear,  go  right 
home,  or  you'll  get  hurt." 

"  Pooh,  pooh !  you,  sir,  whoever  you  are,  I  was  not 
speaking  to  you  ;  none  of  your  nonsense.  Mr.  Jermin, 
I  was  talking  to  you ;  have  the  kindness  to  come  on 
deck,  sir ;  I  want  to  see  you." 

"  And  how,  in  the  devil's  name,  am  I  to  get  there  ?  " 
cried  the  mate,  furiously.  "  Jump  down  here,  Captain 
Guy,  and  show  yourself  a  man.  Let  me  up,  you  Chips ! 
unhand  me,  I  say !  Oh !  I'll  pay  you  for  this,  some 
day !     Come  on,  Captain  Guy !  " 


18  OMOO. 

At  this  appeal,  the  poor  man  was  seized  with  a  perfect 
spasm  of  fidgets.  "Pooh,  pooh,  carpenter;  have  done 
with  your  nonsense !  Let  him  up,  sir ;  let  him  up ! 
Do  you  hear?     Let  Mr.  Jermin  come  on  deck !  " 

"  Go  along  with  you,  Paper  Jack,"  replied  Beauty ; 
"this  quarrel's  between  the  mate  and  me;  so  go  aft, 
where  you  belong  !  " 

As  the  captain  once  more  dipped  his  head  down  the 
scuttle  to  make  answer,  from  an  unseen  hand  he  received, 
full  in  the  face,  the  contents  of  a  tin  can  of  soaked  bis- 
cuit and  tea-leaves.  The  doctor  was  not  far  off  just 
then.  Without  waiting  for  anything  more,  the  discom- 
fited gentleman,  with  both  hands  to  his  streaming  face, 
retreated  to  the  quarter-deck. 

A  few  moments  more,  and  Jermin,  forced  to  a  com- 
promise, followed  after,  in  his  torn  frock  and  scarred 
face,  looking  for  all  the  world  as  if  he  had  just  disen- 
tangled himself  from  some  intricate  piece  of  machinery. 
For  about  half  an  hour  both  remained  in  the  cabin, 
where  the  mate's  rough  tones  were  heard  high  above  the 
low,  smooth  voice  of  the  captain. 

Of  all  his  conflicts  with  the  men,  this  was  the  first  in 
which  Jermin  had  been  worsted  ;  and  he  was  proportion- 
ably  enraged.  Upon  going  below  —  as  the  steward 
afterward  told  us  —  he  bluntly  informed  Guy  that,  for 
the  future,  he  might  look  out  for  his  ship  himself ;  for 
his  part,  he  was  done  with  her,  if  that  was  the  way  he 
allowed  his  officers  to  be  treated.  After  many  high 
words,  the  captain  finally  assured  him,  that  the  first 
fitting  opportunity  the  carpenter  should  be  cordially 
flogged ;  though,  as  matters  stood,  the  experiment 
would  be  a  hazardous  one.  Upon  this  Jerwin  reluc- 
tantly consented  to  drop  the  matter  for  the  present ;  and 
he   soon   drowned   all  thoughts  of   it  in  a  can  of  flip, 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  HTTTHOO.  19 

which  Guy  had  previously  instructed   the   steward  to 
prepare,  as  a  sop  to  allay  his  wrath. 
Nothing  more  ever  came  of  this. 


CHAPTER  V. 

WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  HYTYHOO. 

Less  than  forty-eight  hours  after  leaving  Nukuheva, 
the  blue,  looming  island  of  St.  Christina  greeted  us  from 
afar.  Drawing  near  the  shore,  the  grim,  black  spars 
and  waspish  hull  of  a  small  man-of-war  craft  crept  into 
view;  the  masts  and  yards  lined  distinctly  against  the 
sky.  She  was  riding  to  her  anchor  in  the  bay,  and 
proved  to  be  a  French  corvette. 

This  pleased  our  captain  exceedingly,  and,  coming  on 
deck,  he  examined  her  from  the  mizzen  rigging  with 
his  glass.  His  original  intention  was  not  to  let  go  an 
anchor  ;  but,  counting  upon  the  assistance  of  the  corvette 
in  case  of  any  difficulty,  he  now  changed  his  mind,  and 
anchored  alongside  of  her.  As  soon  as  a  boat  could  be 
lowered,  he  then  went  off  to  pay  his  respects  to  the 
commander,  and,  moreover,  as  we  supposed,  to  concert 
measures  for  the  apprehension  of  the  runaways. 

Returning  in  the  course  of  twenty  minutes,  he  brought 
along  with  him  two  officers  in  undress  and  whiskers, 
and  three  or  four  drunken  obstreperous  old  chiefs ;  one 
with  his  legs  thrust  into  the  armholes  of  a  scarlet  vest, 
another  with  a  pair  of  spurs  on  his  heels,  and  a  third  in 
a  cocked  hat  and  feather.  In  addition  to  these  articles, 
they  merely  wore  the  ordinary  costume  of  their  race  — 
a  slip  of  native  cloth  about  the  loins.  Indecorous  as 
their  behaviour  was,  these  worthies  turned  out  to  be  a 


20  OMOO. 

deputation  from  the  reverend,  the  clergy  of  the  island ; 
and  the  object  of  their  visit  was  to  put  our  ship  under  a 
rigorous  "  Taboo,"  to  prevent  the  disorderly  scenes  and 
facilities  for  desertion  which  would  ensue  were  the 
natives  —  men  and  women  —  allowed  to  come  off  to  us 
freely. 

There  was  little  ceremony  about  the  matter.  The 
chiefs  went  aside  for  a  moment,  laid  their  shaven  old 
crowns  together,  and  went  over  a  little  mummery. 
Whereupon,  their  leader  tore  a  long  strip  from  his  girdle 
of  white  tappa,  and  handed  it  to  one  of  the  French 
officers,  who,  after  explaining  what  was  to  be  done,  gave 
it  to  Jermin.  The  mate  at  once  went  out  to  the  end  of 
the  flying-jib-boom,  and  fastened  there  the  mystic  symbol 
of  the  ban.  This  put  to  flight  a  party  of  girls  who  had 
been  observed  swimming  towards  us.  Tossing  their 
arms  about,  and  splashing  the  water  like  porpoises,  with 
loud  cries  of  "  Taboo !  taboo  ! "  they  turned  about  and 
made  for  the  shore. 

The  night  of  our  arrival,  the  mate  and  the  Mowree 
were  to  stand  "  watch  and  watch,"  relieving  each  other 
every  four  hours ;  the  crew,  as  is  sometimes  customary 
when  lying  at  an  anchor,  being  allowed  to  remain  all 
night  below.  A  distrust  of  the  men,  however,  was,  in 
the  present  instance,  the  principal  reason  for  this  proceed- 
ing. Indeed,  it  was  all  but  certain  that  some  kind  of 
attempt  would  be  made  at  desertion ;  and,  therefore, 
when  Jermin's  first  watch  came  on  at  eight  bells  (mid- 
night) —  by  which  time  all  was  quiet —  he  mounted  to 
the  deck  with  a  flask  of  spirits  in  one  hand,  and  the 
other  in  readiness  to  assail  the  first  countenance  that 
showed  itself  above  the  forecastle  scuttle. 

Thus  prepared,  he  doubtless  meant  to  stay  awake  ;  but 
for  all  that,  before  long  he  fell  asleep ;  and  slept  with 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  HYTTHOO.  21 

such  hearty  good-will  too,  that  the  men  who  left  us  that 
night  might  have  been  waked  up  by  his  snoring.  Cer- 
tain it  was,  the  mate  snored  most  strangely;  and  no 
wonder,  with  that  crooked  bugle  of  his.  When  he  came 
to  himself  it  was  just  dawn,  but  quite  light  enough  to 
show  two  boats  gone  from  the  side.  In  an  instant  he 
knew  what  had  happened. 

Dragging  the  Mowree  out  of  an  old  sail  where  he  was 
napping,  he  ordered  him  to  clear  away  another  boat,  and 
then  darted  into  the  cabin  to  tell  the  captain  the  news. 
Springing  on  deck  again,  he  dived  down  into  the  fore- 
castle for  a  couple  of  oarsmen,  but  hardly  got  there 
before  there  was  a  cry,  and  a  loud  splash  heard  over  the 
side.  It  was  the  Mowree  and  the  boat —  into  which  he 
had  just  leaped  to  get  ready  for  lowering  —  rolling  over 
and  over  in  the  water. 

The  boat  having  at  nightfall  been  hoisted  up  to  its 
place  over  the  starboard  quarter,  some  one  had  so  cut 
the  tackles  which  held  it  there,  that  a  moderate  strain 
would  at  once  part  them.  Bembo's  weight  had  answered 
the  purpose,  showing  that  the  deserters  must  have  ascer- 
tained his  specific  gravity  to  a  fibre  of  hemp.  There 
was  another  boat  remaining :  but  it  was  as  well  to  ex- 
amine it  before  attempting  to  lower.  And  it  was  well 
they  did ;  for  there  was  a  hole  in  the  bottom  large 
enough  to  drop  a  barrel  through :  she  had  been  scuttled 
most  ruthlessly. 

Jermin  was  frantic.  Dashing  his  hat  upon  deck,  he 
was  about  to  plunge  overboard  and  swim  to  the  corvette 
for  a  cutter,  when  Captain  Guy  made  his  appearance 
and  begged  him  to  stay  where  he  was.  By  this  time  the 
officer  of  the  deck  aboard  the  Frenchman  had  noticed 
our  movements,  and  hailed  to  know  what  had  happened. 
Guy  informed  him  through  his  trumpet,  and  men  to  go 


22  omoo. 

in  pursuit  were  instantly  promised.  There  was  a  whis- 
tling of  a  boatswain's  pipe,  an  order  or  two,  and  then  a 
large  cutter  pulled  out  from  the  man-of-war's  stern,  and 
in  half  a  dozen  strokes  was  alongside.  The  mate  leaped 
into  her,  and  they  pulled  rapidly  ashore. 

Another  cutter,  carrying  an  armed  crew,  soon  fol- 
lowed. 

In  an  hour's  time  the  first  returned,  towing  the  two 
whale  boats,  which  had  been  found  turned  up  like  tor- 
toises on  the  beach. 

Noon  came,  and  nothing  more  was  heard  from  the 
deserters.  Meanwhile  Doctor  Long  Ghost  and  myself 
lounged  about,  cultivating  an  acquaintance,  and  gazing 
upon  the  shore  scenery.  The  bay  was  as  calm  as  death ; 
the  sun  high  and  hot ;  and  occasionally  a  still  gliding 
canoe  stole  out  from  behind  the  headlands,  and  shot 
across  the  water. 

And  all  the  morning  long  our  sick  men  limped  about 
the  deck,  casting  wistful  glances  inland,  where  the  palm- 
trees  waved  and  beckoned  them  into  their  reviving 
shades.  Poor  invalid  rascals !  How  conducive  to  the 
restoration  of  their  shattered  health  would  have  been 
those  delicious  groves !  But  hard-hearted  Jermin  as- 
sured them,  with  an  oath,  that  foot  of  theirs  should 
never  touch  the  beach. 

Toward  sunset  a  crowd  was  seen  coming  down  to  the 
water.  In  advance  of  all  were  the  fugitives  —  bare- 
headed—  their  frocks  and  trousers  hanging  in  tatters, 
every  face  covered  with  blood  and  dust,  and  their  arms 
pinioned  behind  them  with  green  thongs.  Following 
them  up,  was  a  shouting  rabble  of  islanders,  pricking 
them  with  the  points  of  their  long  spears,  the  party 
from  the  corvette  menacing  them  in  flank  with  their 
naked  cutlasses. 


WE  TOUCH  AT  LA  DOMINICA.  23 

The  bonus  of  a  musket  to  the  king  of  the  Bay,  and 
the  promise  of  a  tumbler  full  of  powder  for  every  man 
caught,  had  set  the  whole  population  on  their  track  ; 
and  so  successful  was  the  hunt,  that  not  only  were  that 
morning's  deserters  brought  back,  but  five  of  those  left 
behind  on  a  former  visit.  The  natives,  however,  were 
the  mere  hounds  of  the  chase,  raising  the  game  in  their 
coverts,  but  leaving  the  securing  of  it  to  the  Frenchmen. 
Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  islanders  have  no  idea  of  taking 
part  in  such  a  scuffle  as  ensues  upon  the  capture  of  a 
party  of  desperate  seamen. 

The  runaways  were  at  once  brought  aboard,  and, 
though  they  looked  rather  sulky,  soon  came  round,  and 
treated  the  whole  affair  as  a  frolicsome  adventure. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

WE  TOUCH   AT   LA   DOMINICA. 

Fearful  of  spending  the  night  in  Hytyhoo,  Captain 
Guy  caused  the  ship  to  be  got  under  wa}>-  shortly  after 
dark. 

The  next  morning,  when  all  supposed  that  we  were 
fairly  embarked  for  a  long  cruise,  our  course  was  sud- 
denly altered  for  La  Dominica,  or  Hivarhoo,  an  island 
just  north  of  the  one  we  had  quitted.  The  object  of 
this,  as  we  learned,  was  to  procure,  if  possible,  several 
English  sailors,  who,  according  to  the  commander  of  the 
corvette,  had  recently  gone  ashore  there  from  an  Ameri- 
can whaler,  and  were  desirous  of  shipping  aboard  of  one 
of  their  own  country  vessels. 

We  made  the  land  in  the  afternoon,  coming  abreast  of 
a  shady  glen  opening  from  a  deep  bay,  and  winding  by 


24  omoo. 

green  defiles  far  out  of  sight.  "  Hands  by  the  weather- 
main-brace  ! "  roared  the  mate,  jumping  upon  the  bul- 
warks ;  and  in  a  moment  the  prancing  Julia,  suddenly 
arrested  in  her  course,  bridled  her  head  like  a  steed 
reined  in,  while  the  foam  flaked  under  her  bows. 

This  was  the  place  where  we  expected  to  obtain  the 
men  ;  so  a  boat  was  at  once  got  in  readiness  to  go 
ashore.  Now  it  was  necessary  to  provide  a  picked  crew 
—  men  the  least  likely  to  abscond.  After  considerable 
deliberation  on  the  part  of  the  captain  and  mate,  four  of 
the  seamen  were  pitched  upon  as  the  most  trustworthy  ; 
or  rather  they  were  selected  from  a  choice  assortment  of 
suspicious  characters  as  being  of  an  inferior  order  of 
rascality. 

Armed  with  cutlasses  all  round  —  the  natives  were 
said  to  be  an  ugly  set  —  they  were  followed  over  the  side 
by  the  invalid  captain,  who,  on  this  occasion,  it  seems, 
was  determined  to  signalize  himself.  Accordingly,  in 
addition  to  his  cutlass,  he  wore  an  old  boarding  belt,  in 
which  was  thrust  a  brace  of  pistols.  They  at  once 
shoved  off. 

My  friend  Long  Ghost  had,  among  other  things  which 
looked  somewhat  strange  in  a  ship's  forecastle,  a  capital 
spy-glass,  and  on  the  present  occasion  we  had  it  in  use. 

When  the  boat  neared  the  head  of  the  inlet,  though 
invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  it  was  plainly  revealed  by 
the  glass ;  looking  no  bigger  than  an  egg-shell,  and  the 
men  diminished  to  pygmies. 

At  last,  borne  on  what  seemed  a  long  flake  of  foam, 
the  tiny  craft  shot  up  the  beach  amid  a  shower  of 
sparkles.  Not  a  soul  was  there.  Leaving  one  of  their 
number  by  the  water,  the  rest  of  the  pygmies  stepped 
ashore,  looking  about  them  very  circumspectly,  pausing 
now  and  then  hand  to  ear,  and  peering  under  a  dense 


WE  TOUCH  AT  LA  DOMINICA.  27 

grove,  which  swept  down  within  a  few  paces  of  the  sea. 
No  one  came,  and  to  all  appearances  everything  was  as 
still  as  the  grave.  Presently,  he  with  the  pistols,  fol- 
lowed by  the  rest  nourishing  their  bodkins,  entered  the 
wood  and  were  soon  lost  to  view.  They  did  not  stay 
long;  probably  anticipating  some  inhospitable  ambush 
were  they  to  stray  any  distance  up  the  glen. 

In  a  few  moments  they  embarked  again,  and  were 
soon  riding  pertly  over  the  waves  of  the  bay.  All  of  a 
sudden  the  captain  started  to  his  feet  —  the  boat  spun 
round,  and  again  made  for  the  shore.  Some  twenty  or 
thirty  natives  armed  with  spears,  which  through  the 
glass  looked  like  reeds,  had  just  come  out  of  the  grove, 
and  were  apparently  shouting  to  the  strangers  not  to  be 
in  such  a  hurry,  but  return  and  be  sociable.  But  they 
were  somewhat  distrusted,  for  the  boat  paused  about  its 
length  from  the  beach,  when  the  captain  standing  up  in 
its  head  delivered  an  address  in  pantomime,  the  object 
of  which  seemed  to  be  that  the  islanders  should  draw 
near.  One  of  them  stepped  forward  and  made  answer, 
seemingly  again  urging  the  strangers  not  to  be  diffident, 
but  beach  their  boat.  The  captain  declined,  tossing  his 
arms  about  in  another  pantomime.  In  the  end  he  said 
something  which  made  them  shake  their  spears  ;  where- 
upon he  fired  a  pistol  among  them,  which  set  the  whole 
party  running  ;  while  one  poor  little  fellow,  dropping 
his  spear  and  clapping  his  hand  behind  him,  limped 
away  in  a  manner  which  almost  made  me  itch  to  get  a 
shot  at  his  assailant. 

Wanton  acts  of  cruelty  like  this  are  not  unusual  on 
the  part  of  sea  captains  landing  at  islands  comparatively 
unknown.  Even  at  the  Pomotu  group,  but  a  day's  sail 
from  Tahiti,  the  islanders  coming  down  to  the  shore 
have  several  times  been  fired  at  by  trading  schooners 


26  omoo. 

passing  through  their  narrow  channels ;  and  this  too  as 
a  mere  amusement  on  the  part  of  the  ruffians. 

Indeed,  it  is  almost  incredible,  the  light  in  which 
many  sailors  regard  these  naked  heathens.  They  hardly 
consider  them  human.  But  it  is  a  curious  fact,  that  the 
more  ignorant  and  degraded  men  are,  the  more  con- 
temptuously they  look  upon  those  whom  they  deem 
their  inferiors. 

All  powers  of  persuasion  being  thus  lost  upon  these 
foolish  savages,  and  no  hope  left  of  holding  further 
intercourse,  the  boat  returned  to  the  ship. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

WHAT   HAPPENED   AT   HANNAMANOO. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  island  was  the  large  and 
populous  bay  of  Hannamanoo,  where  the  men  sought 
might  yet  be  found.  But  as  the  sun  was  setting  by  the 
time  the  boat  came  alongside,  we  got  our  off-shore  tacks 
aboard  and  stood  away  for  an  offing.  About  daybreak 
we  wore,  and  ran  in,  and  by  the  time  the  sun  was  well 
up,  entered  the  long,  narrow  channel  dividing  the  islands 
of  La  Dominica  and  St.  Christina. 

On  one  hand  was  a  range  of  steep  green  bluffs  hun- 
dreds of  feet  high,  the  white  huts  of  the  natives  here 
and  there  nestling  like  birds'  nests  in  deep  clefts  gush- 
ing with  verdure.  Across  the  water,  the  land  rolled 
away  in  bright  hillsides,  so  warm  and  undulating,  that 
they  seemed  almost  to  palpitate  in  the  sun.  On  we 
swept,  past  bluff  and  grove,  wooded  glen  and  valley, 
and  dark  ravines  lighted  up  far  inland  with  wild  falls 
of  water.     A  fresh  land-breeze  filled  our  sails,  the  em- 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  HANNAMANOO.  27 

bayed  waters  were  gentle  as  a  lake,  and  every  blue  wave 
broke  with  a  tinkle  against  our  coppered  prow. 

On  gaining  the  end  of  the  channel  we  rounded  a 
point,  and  came  full  upon  the  bay  of  Hannamanoo. 
This  is  the  only  harbour  of  any  note  about  the  island, 
though  as  far  as  a  safe  anchorage  is  concerned  it  hardly 
deserves  the  title. 

Before  we  held  any  communication  with  the  shore, 
an  incident  occurred  which  may  convey  some  further 
idea  of  the  character  of  our  crew. 

Having  approached  as  near  the  land  as  we  could 
prudently,  our  headway  was  stopped,  and  we  awaited 
the  arrival  of  a  canoe  which  was  coming  out  of  the  bay. 
All  at  once  we  got  into  a  strong  current,  which  swept 
us  rapidly  toward  a  rocky  promontory  forming  one  side 
of  the  harbour.  The  wind  had  died  away  ;  so  two  boats 
were  at  once  lowered  for  the  purpose  of  pulling  the 
ship's  head  round.  Before  this  could  be  done,  the 
eddies  were  whirling  upon  all  sides,  and  the  rock  so 
near,  that  it  seemed  as  if  one  might  leap  upon  it  from 
the  mast-head.  Notwithstanding  the  speechless  fright 
of  the  captain,  and  the  hoarse  shouts  of  the  unappalled 
Jermin,  the  men  handled  the  ropes  as  deliberately  as 
possible,  some  of  them  chuckling  at  the  prospect  of 
going  ashore,  and  others  so  eager  for  the  vessel  to  strike, 
that  they  could  hardly  contain  themselves.  Unexpect- 
edly a  countercurrent  befriended  us,  and  assisted  by  the 
boats  we  were  soon  out  of  danger. 

What  a  disappointment  for  our  crew  !  All  their  little 
plans  for  swimming  ashore  from  the  wreck,  and  having 
a  fine  time  of  it  for  the  rest  of  their  days,  thus  cruelly 
nipt  in  the  bud. 

Soon  after,  the  canoe  came  alongside.  In  it  were 
eight  or  ten  natives,  comely,  vivacious-looking  youths, 


28  omoo. 

all  gesture  and  exclamation ;  the  red  feathers  in  their 
headbands  perpetually  nodding.  With  them  also  came 
a  stranger,  a  renegado  from  Christendom  and  humanity 
—  a  white  man  in  South  Sea  girdle,  and  tattooed  in  the 
face.  A  broad  blue  band  stretched  across  his  face  from 
ear  to  ear,  and  on  his  forehead  was  the  taper  figure  of  a 
blue  shark,  nothing  but  fins  from  head  to  tail. 

Some  of  us  gazed  upon  this  man  with  a  feeling  akin 
to  horror,  no  ways  abated  when  informed  that  he  had 
voluntarily  submitted  to  this  embellishment  of  his 
countenance.  What  an  impress !  Far  worse  than 
Cain's  —  his  was,  perhaps,  a  wrinkle,  or  a  freckle,  which 
some  of  our  modern  cosmetics  might  have  effaced ;  but 
the  blue  shark  was  a  mark  indelible,  which  all  the 
waters  of  Abana  and  Pharpar,  rivers  of  Damascus, 
could  never  wash  out.  He  was  an  Englishman,  Lem 
Hardy  he  called  himself,  who  had  deserted  from  a  trad- 
ing brig  touching  at  the  island  for  wood  and  water  some 
ten  years  previous.  He  had  gone  ashore  as  a  sovereign 
power,  armed  with  a  musket  and  a  bag  of  ammunition, 
and  ready,  if  need  were,  to  prosecute  war  on  his  own 
account.  The  country  was  divided  by  the  hostile  kings 
of  several  large  valleys.  With  one  of  them,  from  whom 
he  first  received  overtures,  he  formed  an  alliance,  and 
became  what  he  now  was,  the  military  leader  of  the 
tribe,  and  war-god  of  the  entire  island. 

His  campaigns  beat  Napoleon's.  In  one  night-attack, 
his  invincible  musket,  backed  by  the  light  infantry  of 
spears  and  javelins,  vanquished  two  clans,  and  the  next 
morning  brought  all  the  others  at  the  feet  of  his  royal 
ally. 

Nor  was  the  rise  of  his  domestic  fortunes  at  all  behind 
the  Corsican's  ;  three  days  after  landing,  the  exquisitely 
tattooed  hand  of  a  princess  was  his;  receiving  along 


WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  HANNAMANOO.  29 

with  the  damsel,  as  her  portion,  one  thousand  fathoms 
of  fine  tappa,  fifty  double-braided  mats  of  split  grass, 
four  hundred  hogs,  ten  houses  in  different  parts  of  her 
native  valley,  and  the  sacred  protection  of  an  express 
edict  of  the  Taboo,  declaring  his  person  inviolable  for- 
ever. 

Now,  this  man  was  settled  for  life,  perfectly  satisfied 
with  his  circumstances,  and  feeling  no  desire  to  return 
to  his  friends.  "  Friends,"  indeed,  he  had  none.  He 
told  me  his  history.  Thrown  upon  the  world  a  found- 
ling, his  paternal  origin  was  as  much  a  mystery  to  him 
as  the  genealogy  of  Odin ;  and,  scorned  by  everybody, 
he  fled  the  parish  workhouse  when  a  boy,  and  launched 
upon  the  sea.  He  had  followed  it  for  several  years,  a  dog 
before  the  mast,  and  now  he  had  thrown  it  up  forever. 

And  for  the  most  part,  it  is  just  this  sort  of  men  —  so 
many  of  whom  are  found  among  sailors  —  uncared  for 
by  a  single  soul,  without  ties,  reckless,  and  impatient 
of  the  restraints  of  civilisation,  who  are  occasionally 
found  quite  at  home  upon  the  savage  islands  of  the 
Pacific.  And,  glancing  at  their  hard  lot  in  their  own 
country,  what  marvel  at  their  choice  ? 

According  to  the  renegado,  there  was  no  other  white 
man  on  the  island ;  and  as  the  captain  could  have  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  Hardy  intended  to  deceive  us, 
he  concluded  that  the  Frenchmen  were  in  some  way  or 
other  mistaken  in  what  they  had  told  us.  However, 
when  our  errand  was  made  known  to  the  rest  of  our 
visitors,  one  of  them,  a  fine,  stalwart  fellow,  his  face  all 
eyes  and  expression,  volunteered  for  a  cruise,  all  the 
wages  he  asked,  was  a  red  shirt,  a  pair  of  trousers,  and 
a  hat,  which  were  to  be  put  on  there  and  then ;  besides 
a  plug  of  tobacco  and  a  pipe.  The  bargain  was  struck 
directly;    but  Wymontoo   afterwards   came   in  with   a 


30  OMOO. 

codicil,  to  the  effect  that  a  friend  of  his,  who  had  come 
along  with  him,  should  be  given  ten  whole  sea-biscuits, 
without  crack  or  flaw,  twenty  perfectly  new  and  symmet- 
rically straight  nails,  and  one  jackknife.  This  being 
agreed  to,  the  articles  were  at  once  handed  over,  the 
native  receiving  them  with  great  avidity,  and  in  the 
absence  of  clothing,  using  his  mouth  as  a  pocket  to  put 
the  nails  in.  Two  of  them,  however,  were  first  made  to 
take  the  place  of  a  pair  of  ear-ornaments,  curiously 
fashioned  out  of  bits  of  whitened  wood. 

It  now  began  breezing  strongly  from  seaward,  and  no 
time  was  to  be  lost  in  getting  away  from  the  land ;  so, 
after  an  affecting  rubbing  of  noses  between  our  shipmate 
and  his  countrymen,  we  sailed  away  with  him. 

To  our  surprise,  the  farewell-shouts  from  the  canoe, 
as  we  dashed  along  under  bellied  royals,  were  heard 
unmoved  by  our  islander;  but  it  was  not  long  thus. 
That  very  evening,  when  the  dark  blue  of  his  native 
hills  sunk  in  the  horizon,  the  poor  savage  leaned  over 
the  bulwarks,  dropped  his  head  upon  his  chest,  and  gave 
way  to  irrepressible  emotions.  The  ship  was  plunging 
hard,  and  Wymontoo,  sad  to  tell,  in  addition  to  his  other 
pangs,  was  terribly  seasick. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  TATTOOERS   OF   LA   DOMINICA. 

For  a  while  leaving  Little  Jule  to  sail  away  by  her- 
self, I  will  here  put  down  some  curious  information 
obtained  from  Hardy. 

The  renegado  had  lived  so  long  on  the  island,  that  its 
customs  were  quite  familiar ;  and  I  much  lamented  that, 


THE   TATTOOERS   CF  LA  DOMINICA.  3i 

from  the  shortness  of  our  stay,  he  could  not  tell  us 
more  than  he  did. 

From  the  little  intelligence  gathered,  however,  I 
learned  to  my  surprise  that,  in  some  things,  the  people 
of  Hivarhoo,  though  of  the  same  group  of  islands,  dif- 
fered considerably  from  my  tropical  friends  in  the  valley 
of  Typee. 

As  his  tattooing  attracted  so  much  remark,  Hardy  had 
a  good  deal  to  say  concerning  the  manner  in  which  that 
art  was  practised  upon  the  island. 

Throughout  the  entire  cluster  the  tattooers  of  Hivar- 
hoo enjoyed  no  small  reputation.  They  had  carried 
their  art  to  the  highest  perfection,  and  the  profession  was 
esteemed  most  honourable.  No  wonder,  then,  that  like 
genteel  tailors  they  rated  their  services  very  high ;  so 
much  so,  that  none  but  those  belonging  to  the  higher 
classes  could  afford  to  employ  them.  So  true  was  this, 
that  the  elegance  of  one's  tattooing  was  in  most  cases  a 
sure  indication  of  birth  and  riches. 

Professors  in  large  practice  lived  in  spacious  houses, 
divided  by  screens  of  tappa  into  numerous  little  apart- 
ments, where  subjects  were  waited  upon  in  private. 
The  arrangement  chiefly  grew  out  of  a  singular  ordinance 
of  the  Taboo,  which  enjoined  the  strictest  privacy  upon 
all  men,  high  and  low,  while  under  the  hands  of  the 
tattooer.  For  the  time,  the  slightest  intercourse  with 
others  is  prohibited,  and  the  small  portion  of  food  allowed 
is  pushed  under  the  curtain  by  an  unseen  hand.  The 
restriction  with  regard  to  food  is  intended  to  reduce  the 
blood,  so  as  to  diminish  the  inflammation  consequent 
upon  puncturing  the  skin.  As  it  is,  this  comes  on  very 
soon,  and  takes  some  time  to  heal ;  so  that  the  period  of 
seclusion  generally  embraces  many  days,  sometimes 
several  weeks. 


C'2  OMOO. 

All  traces  of  soreness  vanished,  the  subject  goes 
abroad ;  but  only  again  to  return  ;  for,  on  account  of  the 
pain,  only  a  small  surface  can  be  operated  upon  at  once ; 
and  as  the  whole  body  is  to  be  more  or  less  embellished 
by  a  process  so  slow,  the  studios  alluded  to  are  constantly 
filled.  Indeed,  with  a  vanity  elsewhere  unheard  of, 
many  spend  no  small  portion  of  their  days  thus  sitting 
to  an  artist. 

To  begin  the  work,  the  period  of  adolescence  is 
esteemed  the  most  suitable.  After  casting  about  for 
some  eminent  tattooer,  the  friends  of  the  youth  take 
him  to  his  house,  to  have  the  outlines  of  the  general 
plan  laid  out.  It  behoves  the  professor  to  have  a  nice 
eye,  for  a  suit  to  be  worn  for  life  should  be  well  cut. 

Some  tattooers,  yearning  after  perfection,  employ,  at 
large  wages,  one  or  two  men  of  the  commonest  order — 
vile  fellows,  utterly  regardless  of  appearances,  upon 
whom  they  first  try  their  patt^cns  and  practise  generally. 
Their  backs  remorselessly  scrawifcd  over,  and  no  more 
canvas  remaining,  they  are  dismissed^  and  ever  after  go 
about  the  scorn  of  their  countrymen. 

Hapless  wights !  thus  martyred  in  /the  cause  of  the 
Fine  Arts. 

Besides  the  regular  pra^itioners/there  are  a  parcel  of 
shabby,  itinerant  tattooersT^Who,  by  virtue  of  their 
calling,  stroll  unmolested  from  one  hostile  bay  to 
another,  doing  their  work  dog-cheap  for  the  multitude. 
They  always  repair  to  the  various  religious  festivals, 
which  gather  great  crowds.  When  these  are  concluded, 
and  the  places  where  they  are  held  vacated  even  by  the 
tattooers,  scores  of  little  tents  of  coarse  tappa  are  left 
standing,  each  with  a  solitary  inmate,  who,  forbidden  to 
talk  to  his  unseen  neighbours,  is  obliged  to  stay  there 
till  completely  healed.     The  itinerants  are  a  reproach  to 


THE   TATTOOERS   OF  LA   DOMINICA.  33 

their  profession,  mere  cobblers,  dealing  in  nothing  bnt 
jagged  lines  and  clumsy  patches,  and  utterly  incapable 
of  soaring  to  those  heights  of  fancy  attained  by  gentle- 
men of  the  faculty. 

All  professors  of  the  arts  love  to  fraternize ;  and  so, 
in  Hannamanoo,  the  tattooers  come  together  in  the 
chapters  of  their  worshipful  order.  In  this  society,  duty 
organized,  and  conferring  degrees,  Hardy,  from  his  influ- 
ence as  a  white,  was  a  sort  of  honorary  Grand  Master. 
The  blue  shark,  and  a  sort  of  Urim  and  Thummim 
engraven  upon  his  chest,  were  the  seal  of  his  initiation. 
All  over  Hivarhoo  are  established  these  orders  of 
tattooers.  The  way  in  which  the  renegado's  came  to  be 
founded  is  this.  A  year  or  two  after  his  landing  there 
happened  to  be  a  season  of  scarcity,  owing  to  the  partial 
failure  of  the  bread-fruit  harvest  for  several  consecutive 
seasons.  This  brought  about  such  a  falling  off  in  the 
number  of  subjects  for  tattooing,  that  the  profession 
became  quite  needy.  The  royal  ally  of  Hardy,  however, 
hit  upon  a  benevolent  expedient  to  provide  for  their 
wants,  at  the  same  time  conferring  a  boon  upon  many  of 
his  subjects. 

By  sound  of  conch-shell  it  was  proclaimed  before  the 
palace,  on  the  beach,  and  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  that 
Noomai,  King  of  Hannamanoo,  and  friend  of  Hardee- 
Hardee,  the  white,  kept  open  heart  and  table  for  all 
tattooers  whatsoever ;  but,  to  entitle  themselves  to  his 
hospitality,  they  were  commanded  to  practise  without 
fee  upon  the  meanest  native  soliciting  their  services. 

Numbers  at  once  flocked  to  the  royal  abode,  both 
artists  and  sitters.  It  was  a  famous  time ;  and  the 
buildings  of  the  palace  being  "  taboo  "  to  all  but  the 
tattooers  and  chiefs,  the  sitters  bivouacked  on  the  com- 
mon, and  formed  an  extensive  encampment. 


34  omoo. 

The  "  Lora  Tattoo,"  or  the  Time  of  Tattooing,  will  be 
long  remembered.  An  enthusiastic  sitter  celebrated  the 
event  in  verse.  Several  lines  were  repeated  to  us  by 
Hardy,  some  of  which,  in  a  sort  of  colloquial  chant,  h<r 
translated  nearly  thus  :  — 

"  Where  is  that  sound  ? 
In  Hannainanoo. 
And  wherefore  that  sound  ? 
The  sound  of  a  hundred  hammers 
Tapping,  tapping,  tapping 
The  shark  teeth.1 

"  Where  is  that  light  ? 
Round  about  the  king's  house, 
And  the  small  laughter  ? 
The  small,  merry  laughter  it  is 
Of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  tattooed. " 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WE  STEER  TO  THE  WESTWARD.  —  STATE  OF  AFFAIRS. 

The  night  we  left  Hannamanoo  was  bright  and  starry, 
and  so  warm,  that  when  the  watches  were  relieved,  most 
of  the  men,  instead  of  going  below,  flung  themselves 
around  the  foremast. 

Towards  morning,  finding  the  heat  of  the  forecastle 
unpleasant,  I  ascended  to  the  deck,  where  everything 
was  noiseless.  The  Trades  were  blowing  with  a  mild, 
steady  strain  upon  the  canvas,  and  the  ship  heading 
right  out  into  the  immense  blank  of  the  Western  Pacific. 
The  watch  were  asleep.     With  one  foot  resting  on  the 

1  The  colouring  matter  is  inserted  by  means  of  a  shark's  tooth 
attached  to  the  end  of  a  short  stick,  which  is  struck  upon  the  other 
end  with  a  small  mallet  of  wood. 


WE  STEER  TO   THE    WESTWARD.  35 

rudder,  even  the  man  at  the  helm  nodded,  and  the  mate 
himself,  with  arms  folded,  was  leaning  against  the 
capstan. 

On  such  a  night,  and  all  alone,  revery  was  inevitable. 
I  leaned  over  the  side,  and  could  not  help  thinking  of 
the  strange  objects  we  might  be  sailing  over. 

But  my  meditations  were  soon  interrupted  by  a  grey, 
spectral  shadow  cast  over  the  heaving  billows.  It  was 
the  dawn,  soon  followed  by  the  first  rays  of  the  morning. 
They  flashed  into  view  at  one  end  of  the  arched  night, 
like  —  to  compare  great  things  with  small  —  the  gleam- 
ings  of  Guy  Fawkes's  lantern  in  the  vaults  of  the  Parlia- 
ment House.  Before  long,  what  seemed  a  live  ember 
rested  for  a  moment  on  the  rim  of  the  ocean,  and  at  last 
the  blood-red  sun  stood  full  and  round  in  the  level  east, 
and  the  long  sea-day  began. 

Breakfast  over,  the  first  thing  attended  to  was  the 
formal  baptism  of  Wymontoo,  who,  after  thinking  over 
his  affairs  during  the  night,  looked  dismal  enough. 

There  were  various  opinions  as  to  a  suitable  appella- 
tion. Some  maintained  that  we  ought  to  call  him 
"  Sunday,"  that  being  the  day  we  caught  him ;  others, 
"  Eighteen  Forty-two,"  the  then  year  of  our  Lord ; 
while  Doctor  Long  Ghost  remarked  that  he  ought,  by 
all  means,  to  retain  his  original  name,  —  Wymontoo-Hee, 
meaning  (as  he  maintained),  in  the  figurative  language 
of  the  island,  something  analogous  to  one  who  had  got 
himself  into  a  scrape.  The  mate  put  an  end  to  the  dis- 
cussion by  sousing  the  poor  fellow  with  a  bucket  of  salt 
water,  and  bestowing  upon  him  the  nautical  appellation 
of  «  Luff." 

Though  a  certain  mirthfulness  succeeded  his  first 
pangs  at  leaving  home,  Wymontoo  —  we  will  call  him 
thus  —  gradually  relapsed  into  his  former  mood,  and  be- 


36  omoo. 

came  very  melancholy.  Often  I  noticed  him  crouching 
apart  in  the  forecastle,  his  strange  eyes  gleaming  rest- 
lessly, and  watching  the  slightest  movement  of  the  men. 
Many  a  time  he  must  have  been  thinking  of  his  bamboo 
hut,  when  they  were  talking  of  Sydney  and  its  dance- 
houses. 

We  were  now  fairly  at  sea,  though  to  what  particular 
cruising-ground  we  were  going,  no  one  knew ;  and,  to 
all  appearances,  few  cared.  The  men,  after  a  fashion  of 
their  own,  began  to  settle  down  into  the  routine  of  sea- 
life,  as  if  everything  was  going  on  prosperously.  Blown 
along  over  a  smooth  sea,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
steer  the  ship,  and  relieve  the  "  lookouts  "  at  the  mast- 
heads. As  for  the  sick,  they  had  two  or  three  more 
added  to  their  number  —  the  air  of  the  island  having 
disagreed  with  the  constitutions  of  several  of  the  runa- 
ways. To  crown  all,  the  captain  again  relapsed,  and 
became  quite  ill. 

The  men  fit  for  duty  were  divided  into  two  small 
watches,  headed  respectively  by  the  mate  and  the  Mow- 
ree  ;  the  latter,  by  virtue  of  his  being  a  harpooner, 
succeeding  to  the  place  of  the  second  mate,  who  had 
absconded. 

In  this  state  of  things,  whaling  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion ;  but  in  the  face  of  everything,  Jermin  maintained 
that  the  invalids  would  soon  be  well.  However  that 
might  be,  with  the  same  pale  blue  sky  overhead,  we  kept 
running  steadily  to  the  westward.  Forever  advancing, 
we  seemed  always  in  the  same  place,  and  every  day  was 
the  former  lived  over  again.  We  saw  no  ships,  expected 
to  see  none.  No  sign  of  life  was  perceptible  but  the 
porpoises  and  other  fish  sporting  under  the  bows  like 
pups  ashore.  But,  at  intervals,  the  grey  albatross, 
peculiar  to  these  seas,  came  flapping  his  immense  wings 


WE  STEER   TO   THE   WESTWARD.  37 

over  us,  and  then  skimmed  away  silently  as  if  from  a 
plague-ship ;  or  flights  of  the  tropic  bird,  known  among 
seamen  as  the  "  boatswain,"  wheeled  round  and  round 
us  whistling  shrilly  as  they  flew. 

The  uncertainty  hanging  over  our  destination  at  this 
time,  and  the  fact  that  we  were  abroad  upon  waters 
comparatively  little  traversed,  lent  an  interest  to  this 
portion  of  the  cruise  which  I  shall  never  forget. 

From  obvious  prudential  considerations  the  Pacific 
has  been  principally  sailed  over  in  known  tracts,  and 
this  is  the  reason  why  new  islands  are  still  occasionally 
discovered  by  exploring  ships  and  adventurous  whalers, 
notwithstanding  the  great  number  of  vessels  of  all  kinds 
of  late  navigating  this  vast  ocean.  Indeed,  considerable 
portions  still  remain  wholly  unexplored;  and  there  is 
no  doubt  as  to  the  actual  existence  of  certain  shoals,  and 
reefs,  and  small  clusters  of  islands  vaguely  laid  down  in 
the  charts.  The  mere  circumstance,  therefore,  of  a  ship 
like  ours  penetrating  into  these  regions,  was  sufficient 
to  cause  any  reflecting  mind  to  feel  at  least  a  little  un- 
easy. For  my  own  part,  the  many  stories  I  had  heard 
of  ships  striking  at  midnight  upon  unknown  rocks, 
with  all  sail  set,  and  a  slumbering  crew,  often  recurred 
to  me,  especially,  as  from  the  absence  of  discipline,  and 
our  being  so  short-handed,  the  watches  at  night  were 
careless  in  the  extreme. 

But  no  thoughts  like  these  were  entertained  by  my 
reckless  shipmates  ;  and  along  we  went,  the  sun  every 
evening  setting  right  ahead  of  our  jib-boom. 

For  what  reason  the  mate  was  so  reserved  with  regard 
to  our  precise  destination  was  never  made  known.  The 
stories  he  told  us,  I,  for  one,  did  not  believe ;  deeming 
them  all  a  mere  device  to  lull  the  crew. 

He  said  we  were  bound  to  a  fine  cruising-ground, 


64000 


38  omoo. 

scarcely  known  to  other  whalemen,  which  he  had  him- 
self  discovered  when  commanding  a  small  brig  upon  a 
former  voyage.  Here,  the  sea  was  alive  with  large 
whales,  so  tame,  that  all  you  had  to  do  was  to  go  up  and 
kill  them :  they  were  too  frightened  to  resist.  A  little 
to  leeward  of  this  was  a  small  cluster  of  islands,  where 
we  were  going  to  refit,  abounding  with  delicious  fruits, 
and  peopled  by  a  race  almost  wholly  unsophisticated  by 
intercourse  with  strangers. 

In  order,  perhaps,  to  guard  against  the  possibility  of 
any  one  finding  out  the  precise  latitude  and  longitude  of 
the  spot  we  were  going  to,  Jermin  never  revealed  to  us 
the  ship's  place  at  noon,  though  such  is  the  custom 
aboard  of  most  vessels. 

Meanwhile  he  was  very  assiduous  in  his  attention  to 
the  invalids.  Doctor  Long  Ghost  having  given  up  the 
keys  of  the  medicine-chest,  they  were  handed  over  to 
him ;  and,  as  physician,  he  discharged  his  duties  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all.  Pills  and  powders,  in  most  cases, 
were  thrown  to  the  fish,  and  in  place  thereof,  the  con 
tents  of  a  mysterious  little  quarter  cask  were  produced, 
diluted  with  water  from  the  "butt."  His  draughts 
were  mixed  on  the  capstan,  in  cocoa-nut  shells  marked 
with  the  patients'  names.  Like  shore  doctors,  he  did  not 
eschew  his  own  medicines,  for  his  professional  calls  in 
the  forecastle  were  sometimes  made  when  he  was  com- 
fortably tipsy :  nor  did  he  omit  keeping  his  invalids  in 
good-humour,  spinning  his  yarns  to  them  by  the  hour, 
whenever  he  went  to  see  them. 

Owing  to  my  lameness,  from  which  I  soon  began  to 
recover,  I  did  no  active  duty,  except  standing  an  occa- 
sional "  trick  "  at  the  helm.  It  was  in  the  forecastle 
chiefly  that  I  spent  my  time,  in  company  with  the  Long 
Doctor,  who  was  at  great  pains  to  make  himself  agree- 


WE  STEER   TO   THE   WESTWARD.  39 

able.  His  books,  though  sadly  torn  and  battered,  were 
an  invaluable  resource.  I  read  them  through  again  and 
again,  including  a  learned  treatise  on  the  yellow  fever. 
In  addition  to  these,  he  had  an  old  file  of  Sydney 
papers,  and  I  soon  became  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  localities  of  all  the  advertising  tradesmen  there. 
In  particular,  the  rhetorical  flourishes  of  Stubbs,  the 
real-estate  auctioneer,  diverted  me  exceedingly,  and 
I  set  him  down  as  no  other  than  a  pupil  of  Robins 
the  Londoner. 

Aside  from  the  pleasure  of  his  society,  my  intimacy 
with  Long  Ghost  was  of  great  service  to  me  in  other  re- 
spects. His  disgrace  in  the  cabin  only  confirmed  the 
good-will  of  the  democracy  in  the  forecastle  ;  and  they 
not  only  treated  him  in  the  most  friendly  manner,  but 
looked  up  to  him  with  the  utmost  deference,  besides 
laughing  heartily  at  all  his  jokes.  As  his  chosen  asso- 
ciate, this  feeling  for  him  extended  to  me  ;  and  gradually 
we  came  to  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  distinguished 
guests.  At  meal-times  we  were  always  first  served  and 
otherwise  were  treated  with  much  respect. 

Among  other  devices  to  kill  time,  during  the  frequent 
calms,  Long  Ghost  hit  upon  the  game  of  chess.  With 
a  jackknife,  we  carved  the  pieces  quite  tastefully  out  of 
bits  of  wood,  and  our  board  was  the  middle  of  a  chest- 
lid,  chalked  into  squares,  which,  in  playing,  we  straddled 
at  either  end.  Having  no  other  suitable  way  of  distin- 
guishing the  sets,  I  marked  mine  by  tying  round  them 
little  scarfs  of  black  silk,  torn  from  an  old  neck  hand- 
kerchief. Putting  them  in  mourning  this  way,  the  doc- 
tor said,  was  quite  appropriate,  seeing  that  they  had 
reason  to  feel  sad  three  games  out  of  four.  Of  chess, 
the  men  never  could  make  head  nor  tail ;  indeed,  their 
wonder  rose  to  such  a  pitch,  that  they  at  last  regarded 


40  OMOO. 

the  mysterious  movements  of  the  game  with  something 
more  than  perplexity;  and,  after  puzzling  over  them 
through  several  long  engagements,  they  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  we  must  be  a  couple  of  necromancers. 


CHAPTER   X. 

A     SEA-PARLOUR     DESCRIBED,      WITH      SOME      OF     ITS 
TENANTS. 

I  may  as  well  give  some  idea  of  the  place  in  which 
the  doctor  and  I  lived  together  so  sociably. 

Most  persons  know  that  a  ship's  forecastle  embraces 
the  forward  part  of  the  deck  about  the  bowsprit :  the 
same  term,  however,  is  generally  bestowed  upon  the 
sailor's  sleeping-quarters,  which  occupy  a  space  immedi- 
ately beneath,  and  are  partitioned  off  by  a  bulkhead. 

Planted  right  in  the  bows,  or,  as  sailors  say,  in  the 
very  eyes  of  the  ship,  this  delightful  apartment  is  of  a 
triangular  shape,  and  is  generally  fitted  with  two  tiers 
of  rude  bunks.  Those  of  the  Julia  were  in  a  most  de- 
plorable condition,  mere  wrecks,  some  having  been  torn 
down  altogether  to  patch  up  others ;  and  on  one  side 
there  were  but  two  standing.  But  with  most  of  the 
men  it  made  little  difference  whether  they  had  a  bunk 
or  not,  since,  having  no  bedding,  they  had  nothing  to 
put  in  it  but  themselves. 

Upon  the  boards  of  my  own  crib  I  spread  all  the  old 
canvas  and  old  clothes  I  could  pick  up.  For  a  pillow, 
I  wrapped  an  old  jacket  round  a  log.  This  helped  a 
little  the  wear  and  tear  of  one's  bones  when  the  ship 
rolled. 

Rude  hammocks  made  out  of  old  sails  were  in  many 
cases  used  as  substitutes  for  the  demolished  bunks ;  but 


A   SEA-PARLOUR  DESCRIBED.  41 

the  space  they  swung  in  was  so  confined,  that  they  were 
far  from  being  agreeable. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  forecastle  was  dungeon-like 
and  dingy  in  the  extreme.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  not 
five  feet  from  deck  to  deck,  and  even  this  space  was  en- 
croached upon  by  two  outlandish  cross-timbers  bracing 
the  vessel,  and  by  the  sailors'  chests,  over  which  you 
must  needs  crawl  in  getting  about.  At  meal-times,  and 
especially  when  we  indulged  in  after-dinner  chat,  we  sat 
about  the  chests  like  a  parcel  of  tailors. 

In  the  middle  of  all,  were  two  square  wooden  col- 
umns, denominated  in  marine  architecture  u  Bowsprit 
Bitts."  They  were  about  a  foot  apart,  and  between 
them,  by  a  rusty  chain,  swung  the  forecastle  lamp,  burn- 
ing day  and  night,  and  forever  casting  two  long  black 
shadows.  Lower  down,  between  the  bitts,  was  a  locker, 
or  sailors'  pantry,  kept  in  abominable  disorder,  and  some- 
times requiring  a  vigorous  cleaning  and  fumigation. 

All  over,  the  ship  was  in  a  most  dilapidated  condi- 
tion ;  but  in  the  forecastle  it  looked  like  the  hollow  of 
an  old  tree  going  to  decay.  In  every  direction  the  wood 
was  damp  and  discoloured,  and  here  and  there  soft  and 
porous.  Moreover,  it  was  hacked  and  hewed  without 
mercy,  the  cook  frequently  helping  himself  to  splinters 
for  kindling-wood  from  the  bitts  and  beams.  Overhead, 
every  carline  was  sooty,  and  here  and  there  deep  holes 
were  burned  in  them,  a  freak  of  some  drunken  sailors 
on  a  voyage  long  previous. 

From  above,  you  entered  by  a  plank,  with  two  cleats, 
slanting  down  from  the  scuttle,  which  was  a  mere  hole 
in  the  deck.  There  being  no  slide  to  draw  over  in  case 
of  emergency,  the  tarpaulin  temporarily  placed  there  was 
little  protection  from  the  spray  heaved  over  the  bows  ; 
so  that  in  anything  of    a  breeze  the  place  was  miser- 


42  omoo. 

ably  wet.  In  a  squall,  the  water  fairly  poured  down 
in  sheets  like  a  cascade,  swashing  about,  and  after- 
wards spirting  up  between  the  chests  like  the  jets  of  a 
fountain. 

Such  were  our  accommodations  aboard  of  the  Julia ; 
but,  bad  as  they  were,  we  had  not  the  undisputed  posses- 
sion of  them.  Myriads  of  cockroaches,  and  regiments 
of  rats,  disputed  the  place  with  us.  A  greater  calam- 
ity than  this  can  scarcely  befall  a  vessel  in  the  South 
Seas. 

So  warm  is  the  climate  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
get  rid  of  them.  You  may  seal  up  every  hatchway,  and 
fumigate  the  hull  till  the  smoke  forces  itself  out  at  the 
seams,  and  enough  will  survive  to  repeople  the  ship  in 
an  incredibly  short  period.  In  some  vessels,  the  crews  of 
which  after  a  hard  fight  have  given  themselves  up,  as  it 
were,  for  lost,  the  vermin  seem  to  take  actual  possession, 
the  sailors  being  mere  tenants  by  sufferance.  With 
sperm  whalemen,  hanging  about  the  Line,  as  many  of 
them  do  for  a  couple  of  years  on  a  stretch,  it  is  infinitely 
worse  than  with  other  vessels. 

As  for  the  Julia,  these  creatures  never  had  such  free 
and  easy  times  as  they  did  in  her  crazy  old  hull ;  every 
chink  and  cranny  swarmed  with  them ;  they  did  not 
live  among  you,  but  you  among  them.  So  true  was 
this,  that  the  business  of  eating  and  drinking  was  better 
done  in  the  dark  than  in  the  light  of  day. 

Concerning  the  cockroaches,  there  was  an  extraordi- 
nary phenomenon,  for  which  none  of  us  could  ever 
account. 

Every  night  they  had  a  jubilee.  The  first  symptom 
was  an  unusual  clustering  and  humming  among  the 
swarms  lining  the  beams  overhead,  and  the  inside  of  the 
sleeping-places.      This  was  succeeded  by  a  prodigious 


A   SEA-PARLOUR  DESCRIBED.  43 

coming  and  going  on  the  part  of  those  living  out  of 
sight.  Presently  they  all  came  forth  ;  the  larger  sort 
racing  over  the  chests  and  planks ;  winged  monsters 
darting  to  and  fro  in  the  air ;  and  the  small  fry  buzzing 
in  heaps  almost  in  a  state  of  fusion. 

On  the  first  alarm,  all  who  were  able  darted  on  deck ; 
while  some  of  the  sick  who  were  too  feeble,  lay  perfectly 
quiet- —  the  distracted  vermin  running  over  them  at 
pleasure.  The  performance  lasted  some  ten  minutes, 
during  which  no  hive  ever  hummed  louder.  Often  it 
was  lamented  by  us  that  the  time  of  the  visitation  could 
never  be  predicted ;  it  was  liable  to  come  upon  us  at  any 
hour  of  the  night,  and  what  a  relief  it  was,  when  it  hap- 
pened to  fall  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening. 

Nor  must  I  forget  the  rats :  they  did  not  forget  me. 
Tame  as  Trenck's  mouse,  they  stood  in  their  holes  peer- 
ing at  you  like  old  grandfathers  in  a  doorway.  Often 
they  darted  in  upon  us  at  meal-times,  and  nibbled  our 
food.  The  first  time  they  approached  Wymontoo,  he 
was  actually  frightened  ;  but,  becomming  accustomed  to 
it,  he  soon  got  aloncr  with  them  much  better  than  the 
rest.  With  curious  dexterity  he  seized  the  animals  by 
their  legs,  and  flung  them  up  the  scuttle  to  find  a 
watery  grave. 

But  I  have  a  story  of  my  own  to  tell  about  these  rats. 
One  day  the  cabin  steward  made  me  a  present  of  some 
molasses,  which  I  was  so  choice  of,  that  I  kept  it  hid 
away  in  a  tin  can  in  the  farthest  corner  of  my  bunk. 
Faring  as  we  did,  this  molasses  dropped  upon  a  biscuit 
was  a  positive  luxury,  which  I  shared  with  none  but  the 
doctor,  and  then  only  in  private.  And  sweet  as  the 
treacle  was,  how  could  bread  thus  prepared  and  eaten  in 
secret  be  otherwise  than  pleasant. 

One  night  our  precious  can  ran  low,  and   in   cant- 


44  omoo. 

ing  it  over  in  the  dark,  something  besides  the  molas- 
ses slipped  out.  How  long  it  had  been  there,  kind 
Providence  never  revealed ;  nor  y^ej^we  over  anx- 
ious to  know ;  for  we  hushed  up-lbhe  bate\  thought  as 
quickly  as  possible.  The  creature  certainly  died  a 
luscious  death,  quite  equal  to|  Clarence's/in  the  butt 
of  Malmsey. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

DOCTOR   LONG   GHOST   A   WAG.  —  ONE   OF   HIS   CAPERS. 

Grave  though  he  was  at  times,  Doctor  Long  Ghost 
was  a  decided  wag. 

Every  one  knows  what  lovers  of  fun  sailors  are  ashore 
—  afloat,  they  are  absolutely  mad  after  it.  So  his 
pranks  were  duly  appreciated. 

The  poor  old  black  cook!  Unlashing  his  hammock 
for  the  night,  and  finding  a  wet  log  fast  asleep  in  it  ; 
and  then  waking  in  the  morning  with  his  woolly  head 
tarred.  Opening  his  coppers,  and  finding  an  old  boot 
boiling  away  as  saucy  as  could  be,  and  sometimes  cakes 
of  pitch  candying  in  his  oven. 

Baltimore's1  tribulations  were  indeed  sore  ;  there 
was  no  peace  for  him  day  nor  night.  Poor  fellow!  he 
was  altogether  too  good-natured.  Say  what  they  will 
about  easy-tempered  people,  it  is  far  better,  on 
some  accounts,  to  have  the  temper  of  a  wolf.  Who 
ever  thought  of  taking  liberties  with  gruff  Black 
Dan! 

The  most  curious  of  the  doctor's  jokes,  was  hoisting 

1  He  was  so  called  from  the  place  of  his  birth,  being  a  runaway  Mary« 
land  slave. 


DOCTOR  LONG  GHOST  A    WAG.  45 

the  men  aloft  by  the  foot  or  shoulder,  when  they  fell 
asleep  on  deck  during  the  night-watches. 

Ascending  from  the  forecastle  on  one  occasion,  he 
found  every  soul  napping,  and  forthwith  went  about 
his  capers.  Fastening  a  rope's  end  to  each  sleeper,  he 
rove  the  lines  through  a  number  of  blocks,  and  con- 
ducted them  all  to  the  windlass;  then,  by  heaving 
round  cheerily,  in  spite  of  cries  and  struggles,  he 
soon  had  them  dangling  aloft  in  all  directions  by 
arms  and  legs.  Waked  by  the  uproar,  we  rushed 
up  from  below,  and  found  the  poor  fellows  swinging 
in  the  moonlight  from  the  tops  and  lower  yard- 
arms,  like  a  parcel  of  pirates  gibbeted  at  sea  by  a 
cruiser. 

Connected  with  this  sort  of  diversion,  was  another 
prank  of  his.  During  the  night  some  of  those  on  deck 
would  come  below  to  light  a  pipe,  or  take  a  mouthful 
of  beef  and  biscuit.  Sometimes  they  fell  asleep;  and 
being  missed  directly  that  anything  was  to  be  done, 
their  shipmates  often  amused  themselves  by  running 
them  aloft  with  a  pulley  dropped  down  the  scuttle  from 
the  fore -top. 

One  night,  when  all  was  perfectly  still,  I  lay  awake 
in  the  forecastle ;  the  lamp  was  burning  low  and  thick, 
and  swinging  from  its  blackened  beam ;  and  with  the 
uniform  motion  of  the  ship,  the  men  in  the  bunks  rolled 
slowly  from  side  to  side;  the  hammocks  swaying  in 
unison. 

Presently  I  heard  a  foot  upon  the  ladder,  and,  look- 
ing up,  saw  a  wide  trousers'  leg.  Immediately,  Navy 
Bob,  a  stout  old  Triton,  stealthily  descended,  and  at 
once  went  to  groping  in  the  locker  after  something  to 
eat. 

Supper  ended,  he  proceeded  to  load  his  pipe.     Now, 


46  omoo. 

for  a  good  comfortable  smoke  at  sea,  there  never  was  a 
better  place  than  the  Julia's  forecastle  at  midnight. 
To  enjoy  the  luxury,  one  wants  to  fall  into  a  kind  of 
dreamy  re  very,  only  known  to  the  children  of  the  weed. 
And  the  very  atmosphere  of  the  place,  laden  as  it  was 
with  the  snores  of  the  sleepers,  was  inducive  of  this. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  after  a  while  Bob's  head  sunk 
upon  his  breast;  presently  his  hat  fell  off,  the  ex- 
tinguished pipe  dropped  from  his  mouth,  and  the 
next  moment  he  lay  out  on  the  chest  as  tranquil  as  an 
infant. 

Suddenly  an  order  was  heard  on  deck,  followed  by 
the  trampling  of  feet  and  the  hauling  of  rigging.  The 
yards  were  being  braced,  and  soon  after  the  sleeper  was 
missed ;  for  there  was  a  whispered  conference  over  the 
scuttle. 

Directly  a  shadow  glided  across  the  forecastle  and 
noiselessly  approached  the  unsuspecting  Bob.  It  was 
one  of  the  watch  with  the  end  of  a  rope  leading  out  of 
sight  up  the  scuttle.  Pausing  an  instant,  the  sailor 
pressed  softly  the  chest  of  his  victim,  sounding  his 
slumbers;  and  then  hitching  the  cord  to  his  ankle, 
returned  to  the  deck. 

Hardly  was  his  back  turned,  when  a  long  limb  was 
thrust  from  a  hammock  opposite,  and  Doctor  Long 
Ghost,  leaping  forth  warily,  whipped  the  rope  from 
Bob's  ankle,  and  fastened  it  like  lightning  to  a  great 
lumbering  chest,  the  property  of  the  man  who  had  just 
disappeared. 

Scarcely  was  the  thing  done,  when  lo  !  with  a  thun- 
dering bound,  the  clumsy  box  was  torn  from  its  fasten- 
ings, and  banging  from  side  to  side,  flew  towards  the 
scuttle.  Here  it  jammed ;  and  thinking  that  Bob,  who 
was  as  strong  as  a  windlass,  was  grappling  a  beam  and 


DEATH  AND  BURIAL   OF  TWO   OF  THE  CREW.      47 

trying  to  cut  the  line,  the  jokers  on  deck  strained  away 
furiously.  On  a  sudden,  the  chest  went  aloft,  and 
striking  against  the  mast,  flew  open,  raining  down  on 
the  heads  of  the  party  a  merciless  shower  of  things  too 
numerous  to  mention. 

Of  course  the  uproar  roused  all  hands,  and  when  we 
hurried  on  deck,  there  was  the  owner  of  the  box,  look- 
ing aghast  at  its  scattered  contents,  and  with  one  wan- 
dering hand  taking  the  altitude  of  a  bump  on  his 
head. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

DEATH  AND  BURIAL  OF  TWO  OF  THE  CREW. 

The  mirthfulness  which  at  times  reigned  among  us 
was  in  strange  and  shocking  contrast  with  the  situation 
of  some  of  the  invalids.  Thus,  at  least,  did  it  seem  to 
me,  though  not  to  others. 

But  an  event  occurred  about  this  period,  which,  in 
removing  by  far  the  most  pitiable  cases  of  suffering, 
tended  to  make  less  grating  to  my  feelings  the  subse- 
quent conduct  of  the  crew. 

We  had  been  at  sea  about  twenty  days,  when  two  of 
the  sick,  who  had  rapidly  grown  worse,  died  one  night 
within  an  hour  of  each  other. 

One  occupied  a  bunk  right  next  to  mine,  and  for 
several  days  had  not  risen  from  it.  During  this  period 
he  was  often  delirious,  starting  up  and  glaring  around 
him,  and  sometimes  wildly  tossing  his  arms. 

On  the  night  of  his  decease,  I  retired  shortly  after 
the  middle  watch  began,  and  waking  from  a  vague 
dream  of  horrors,   felt  something  clammy  resting  on 


48  omoo. 

me.  It  was  the  sick  man's  hand.  Two  or  three  times 
during  the  evening  previous,  he  had  thrust  it  into  my 
bunk,  and  I  had  quietly  removed  it;  but  now  I  started 
and  flung  it  from  me.  The  arm  fell  stark  and  stiff,  and 
I  knew  that  he  was  dead. 

Waking  the  men,  the  corpse  was  immediately  rolled 
up  in  the  strips  of  blanketing  upon  which  it  lay,  and 
carried  on  deck.  The  mate  was  then  called,  and  prepa- 
rations made  for  an  instantaneous  burial.  Laying  the 
body  out  on  the  fore  hatch,  it  was  stitched  up  in  one 
of  the  hammocks,  some  "kentlege"  being  placed  at 
the  feet  instead  of  shot.  This  done,  it  was  borne  to 
the  gangway,  and  placed  on  a  plank  laid  across  the 
bulwarks.  Two  men  supported  the  inside  end.  By 
way  of  solemnity,  the  ship's  headway  was  then  stopped 
by  hauling  aback  the  main-top-sail. 

The  mate,  who  was  far  from  being  sober,  then  stag- 
gered up,  and  holding  onto  a  shroud,  gave  the  word- 
As  the  plank  tipped,  the  body  slid  off  slowly,  and  fell 
with  a  splash  into  the  sea.  A  bubble  or  two,  and  noth- 
ing more  was  seen. 

"  Brace  forward !  "  The  main-yard  swung  round  to 
its  place,  and  the  ship  glided  on,  while  the  corpse, 
perhaps,  was  still  sinking. 

We  had  tossed  a  shipmate  to  the  sharks,  but  no  one 
would  have  thought  it,  to  have  gone  among  the  crew 
immediately  after.  The  dead  man  had  been  a  churlish, 
unsocial  fellow,  while  alive,  and  no  favourite ;  and  now 
that  he  was  no  more,  little  thought  was  bestowed  upon 
him.  All  that  was  said,  was  concerning  the  disposal 
of  his  chest,  which,  having  been  always  kept  locked, 
was  supposed  to  contain  money.  Some  one  volunteered 
to  break  it  open,  and  distribute  its  contents,  clothing 
and  all,  before  the  captain  should  demand  it. 


DEATH  AND  BURIAL   OF  TWO   OF  THE  CREW.      49 

While  myself  and  others  were  endeavouring  to  dis- 
suade them  from  this,  all  started  at  a  cry  from  the  fore- 
castle. There  could  be  no  one  there  but  two  of  the 
sick,  unable  to  crawl  on  deck.  We  went  below,  and 
found  one  of  them  dying  on  a  chest.  He  had  fallen 
out  of  his  hammock  in  a  fit,  and  was  insensible.  The 
eyes  were  open  and  fixed,  and  his  breath  coming  and 
going  convulsively.  The  men  shrunk  from  him;  but 
the  doctor,  taking  his  hand,  held  it  a  few  moments  in 
his,  and  suddenly  letting  it  fall,  exclaimed,  "He's 
gone!  "     The  body  was  instantly  borne  up  the  ladder. 

Another  hammock  was  soon  prepared,  and  the  dead 
sailor  stitched  up  as  before.  Some  additional  cere- 
mony, however,  was  now  insisted  upon,  and  a  Bible 
was  called  for.  But  none  was  to  be  had,  not  even  a 
Prayer  Book.  When  this  was  made  known,  Antone, 
a  Portuguese,  from  the  Cape-de-Verd  Islands,  stepped 
up,  muttered  something  over  the  corpse  of  his  country- 
man, and,  with  his  finger,  described  upon  the  back  of 
the  hammock  the  figure  of  a  large  cross;  whereupon  it 
received  the  dead-launch. 

These  two  men  both  perished  from  the  proverbial  in- 
discretions of  seamen,  heightened  by  circumstances 
apparent;  but  had  either  of  them  been  ashore  under 
proper  treatment,  he  would,  in  all  human  probability, 
have  recovered. _____ 

Behold  here^feh^Tate  of  a  sailor!~~Trtey-give  him  the 
last  toss,  ana  no  one  asks  whose  child  he  was/^N.  ^ 

For  the  \est  of  that  night  there  was  no  more  sieep. 
Many  stayea^^o^deck  until  broad  morning^xelaung  to 
each  other  those  maTvellous-talc3  of-°tfae  sea  which  the 
occasion  was  calculated  to  call  forth.  Little  as  I 
believed  in  such  things,  I  could  not  listen  to  some  of 
these  stories  unaffected.  Above  all  was  I  struck  by 
one  of  the  carpenter's. 


50  OMOO. 

On  a  voyage  to  India,  they  had  a  fever  aboard,  which 
carried  off  nearly  half  the  crew  in  the  space  of  a  few 
days.  After  this  the  men  never  went  aloft  in  the 
night-time,  except  in  couples.  When  top-sails  were 
to  be  reefed,  phantoms  were  seen  at  the  yard-arm  ends ; 
and  in  tacking  ship,  voices  called  aloud  from  the  tops. 
The  carpenter  himself,  going  with  another  man  to  furl 
the  main-top-gallant-sail  in  a  squall,  was  nearly  pushed 
from  the  rigging  by  an  unseen  hand ;  and  his  shipmate 
swore  that  a  wet  hammock  was  flirted  in  his  face. 

Stories  like  these  were  related  as  gospel  truths,  by 
those  who  declared  themselves  eye-witnesses. 

It  is  a  circumstance  not  generally  known,  perhaps, 
that,  among  ignorant  seamen,  Finlanders,  or  Finns,  as 
they  are  more  commonly  called,  are  regarded  with 
peculiar  superstition.  For  some  reason  or  other,  which 
I  never  could  get  at,  they  are  supposed  to  possess  the 
gift  of  second  sight,  and  the  power  to  wreak  supernat- 
ural vengeance  upon  those  who  offend  them.  On  this 
account  they  have  great  influence  among  the  sailors, 
and  two  or  three  with  whom  I  have  sailed  at  different 
times  were  persons  well  calculated  to  produce  this  sort 
of  impression,  at  least  upon  minds  disposed  to  believe 
in  such  things. 

Now,  we  had  one  of  these  sea-prophets  aboard;  an 
old,  yellow-haired  fellow,  who  always  wore  a  rude  seal- 
skin cap  of  his  own  make,  and  carried  his  tobacco  in  a 
large  pouch  made  of  the  same  stuff.  Van,  as  we  called 
him,  was  a  quiet,  inoffensive  man,  to  look  at,  and, 
among  such  a  set,  his  occasional  peculiarities  had  hith- 
erto passed  for  nothing.  At  this  time,  however,  he 
came  out  with  a  prediction,  which  was  none  the  less 
remarkable  from  its  absolute  fulfilment,  though  not 
exactly  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  was  given  out. 


DEATH  AND  BURIAL   OF  TWO  OF  THE  CREW.      51 

The  night  of  the  burial  he  laid  his  hand  on  the  old 
horse-shoe  nailed  as  a  charm  to  the  foremast,  and 
solemnly  told  us  that,  in  less  than  three  weeks,  not  one- 
quarter  of  our  number  would  remain  aboard  the  ship  — 
by  that  time  they  would  have  left  her  forever. 

Some  laughed;  Flash  Jack  called  him  an  old  fool; 
but  among  the  men  generally  it  produced  a  marked 
effect.  For  several  days  a  degree  of  quiet  reigned 
among  us,  and  allusions  of  such  a  kind  were  made  to 
recent  events,  as  could  be  attributed  to  no  other  cause 
than  the  Finn's  omen. 

For  my  own  part,  what  had  lately  come  to  pass  was 
not  without  its  influence.  It  forcibly  brought  to  mind 
our  really  critical  condition.  Doctor  Long  Ghost,  too, 
frequently  revealed  his  apprehensions,  and  once  assured 
me  that  he  would  give  much  to  be  safely  landed  upon 
any  island  around  us. 

Where  we  were  exactly  no  one  but  the  mate  seemed 
to  know,  nor  whither  we  were  going.  The  captain  — 
a  mere  cipher  —  was  an  invalid  in  his  cabin ;  to  say 
nothing  more  of  so  many  of  his  men  languishing  in  the 
forecastle. 

Our  keeping  the  sea  under  these  circumstances,  a 
matter  strange  enough  at  first,  now  seemed  wholly  un- 
warranted; and  added  to  all  was  the  thought,  that  our 
fate  was  absolutely  in  the  hand  of  the  reckless  Jermin. 
Were  anything  to  happen  to  him,  we  would  be  left 
without  a  navigator,  for,  according  to  Jermin  himself, 
he  had,  from  the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  always 
kept  the  ship's  reckoning,  the  captain's  nautical  knowl- 
edge being  insufficient. 

But  considerations  like  these,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
seldom  or  never  occurred  to  the  crew.  They  were  alive 
only  to  superstitious  fears ;  and  when,  in  apparent  coa- 


52  .       omoo. 

tradiction  to  the  Finn's  prophecy,  the  sick  men  rallied 
a  little,  they  began  to  recover  their  former  spirits,  and 
the  recollection  of  what  had  occurred  insensibly  faded 
from  their  minds.  In  a  week's  time,  the  unworthiness 
of  Little  Jule,  as  a  sea  vessel,  always  a  subject  of  jest, 
now  became  more  so  than  ever.  In  the  forecastle,  Flash 
Jack,  with  his  knife,  often  dug  into  the  dank,  rotten 
planks  ribbed  between  us  and  death,  and  flung  away 
the  splinters  with  some  sea  joke. 

As  to  the  remaining  invalids,  they  were  hardly  ill 
enough  to  occasion  any  serious  apprehension,  at  least 
for  the  present,  in  the  breasts  of  such  thoughtless  be- 
ings as  themselves.  And  even  those  who  suffered  the 
most,  studiously  refrained  from  any  expression  of  pain. 

The  truth  is,  that  among  sailors  as  a  class,  sickness 
at  sea  is  so  heartily  detested,  and  the  sick  so  little 
cared  for,  that  the  greatest  invalid  generally  strives  to 
mask  his  sufferings.  He  has  given  no  sympathy  to 
others,  and  he  expects  none  in  return.  Their  conduct, 
in  this  respect,  so  opposed  to  their  generous-hearted 
behaviour  ashore,  painfully  affects  the  landsman  on  his 
first  intercourse  with  them  as  a  sailor. 

Sometimes,  but  seldom,  our  invalids  inveighed 
against  their  being  kept  at  sea,  where  they  could  be  of 
no  service,  when  they  ought  to  be  ashore  and  in  the 
way  of  recovery.  But  —  "  Oh !  cheer  up  —  cheer  up, 
my  hearties  !  "  —  the  mate  would  say.  And  after  this 
fashion  he  put  a  stop  to  their  murmurings. 

But  there  was  one  circumstance,  to  which  heretofore 
I  have  but  barely  alluded,  that  tended  more  than  any- 
thing else  to  reconcile  many  to  their  situation.  This 
was  the  receiving  regularly,  twice  every  day,  a  certain 
portion  of  Pisco,  which  was  served  out  at  the  capstan, 
by  the  steward,  in  little  tin  measures  called  "tots." 


DEATH  AND  BURIAL   OF  TWO  OF  THE  CREW.      53 

The  lively  affection  seamen  have  for  strong  drink  is 
well  known;  but  in  the  South  Seas,  where  it  is  so 
seldom  to  be  had,  a  thorough-bred  sailor  deems  scarcely 
any  price  too  dear  which  will  purchase  his  darling 
"tot."  Nowadays,  American  whalemen  in  the  Pacific 
never  think  of  carrying  spirits  as  a  ration ;  and  aboard 
of  most  of  them,  it  is  never  served  out  even  in  times  of 
the  greatest  hardships.  All  Sydney  whalemen,  how- 
ever, still  cling  to  the  old  custom,  and  carry  it  as  a 
part  of  the  regular  supplies  for  the  voyage. 

In  port,  the  allowance  of  Pisco  was  suspended ;  with 
a  view,  undoubtedly,  of  heightening  the  attractions  of 
being  out  of  sight  of  land. 

Now,  owing  to  the  absence  of  proper  discipline,  our 
sick,  in  addition  to  what  they  took  medicinally,  often 
came  in  for  their  respective  "tots"  convivially;  and, 
added  to  all  this,  the  evening  of  the  last  day  of  the 
week  was  always  celebrated  by  what  is  styled  on  board 
of  English  vessels,  "The  Saturday-night  bottles." 
Two  of  these  were  sent  down  into  the  forecastle,  just 
after  dark ;  one  for  the  starboard  watch,  and  the  other 
for  the  larboard. 

By  prescription,  the  oldest  seaman  in  each  claims  the 
treat  as  his,  and,  accordingly,  pours  out  the  good  cheer 
and  passes  it  round  like  a  lord  doing  the  honours  of  his 
table.  But  the  Saturday-night  bottles  were  not  all. 
The  carpenter  and  cooper,  in  sea  parlance,  Chips  and 
Bungs,  who  were  the  "Cods,"  or  leaders  of  the  fore- 
castle, in  some  way  or  other,  managed  to  obtain  an 
extra  supply,  which  perpetually  kept  them  in  fine 
after  dinner  spirits,  and,  moreover,  disposed  them  to 
look  favourably  upon  a  state  of  affairs  like  the  pres- 
ent. 

But  where  were  the  sperm  whales  all  this  time  ?     In 


54  omoo. 

good  sooth,  it  made  little  matter  where  they  were,  since 
we  were  in  no  condition  to  capture  them.  About  this 
time,  indeed,  the  men  came  down  from  the  mast-heads, 
where,  until  now,  they  had  kept  up  the  form  of  reliev- 
ing each  other  every  two  hours.  They  swore  they 
would  go  there  no  more.  Upon  this,  the  mate  care- 
lessly observed,  that  they  would  soon  be  where  look- 
outs were  entirely  unnecessary,  the  whales  he  had  in 
his  eye  (though  Flash  Jack  said  they  were  all  in  his) 
being  so  tame,  that  they  made  a  practice  of  coming 
round  ships,  and  scratching  their  backs  against  them. 
Thus  went  the  world  of  waters  with  us,  some  four 
weeks  or  more  after  leaving  Hannamanoo. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OTJB,  DESTINATION   CHANGED. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  death  of  the  two  men,  that 
Captain  Guy  was  reported  as  fast  declining,  and  in  a 
day  or  two  more,  as  dying.  The  doctor,  who  previously 
had  refused  to  enter  the  cabin  upon  any  consideration, 
now  relented,  and  paid  his  old  enemy  a  professional 
visit. 

He  prescribed  a  warm  bath,  which  was  thus  prepared. 
The  skylight  being  removed,  a  cask  was  lowered  down 
into  the  cabin,  and  then  filled  with  buckets  of  water 
from  the  ship's  coppers.  The  cries  of  the  patient, 
when  dipped  into  this  rude  bath,  were  most  painful  to 
hear.  They  at  last  laid  him  on  the  transom,  more  dead 
than  alive. 

That  evening,  the  mate  was  perfectly  sober,  and  com- 
ing forward  to  the  windlass,  where  we  were  lounging, 


OUR  DESTINATION  CHANGED.  55 

summoned  aft  the  doctor,  myself,  and  two  or  three 
others  of  his  favourites;  when,  in  the  presence  of 
Bembo  the  Mowree,  he  spoke  to  us  thus :  — 

"I  have  something  to  say  to  ye,  men.  There's  none 
but  Bembo  here  as  belongs  aft,  so  I've  picked  ye  out 
as  the  best  men  for'ard  to  take  counsel  with,  d'ye  see, 
consarning  the  ship.  The  captain's  anchor  is  pretty 
nigh  atrip;  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  croaked  afore 
morning.  So  what's  to  be  done?  If  we  have  to  sew 
him  up,  some  of  those  pirates  there  for'ard  may  take  it 
into  their  heads  to  run  off  with  the  ship,  because  there's 
no  one  at  the  tiller.  Now,  I've  detarmined  what's 
best  to  be  done;  but  I  don't  want  to  do  it  unless  I've 
good  men  to  back  me,  and  make  things  all  fair  and 
square  if  ever  we  get  home  again." 

We  all  asked  what  his  plan  was. 

"I'll  tell  ye  what  it  is,  men.  If  the  skipper  dies, 
all  agree  to  obey  my  orders,  and  in  less  than  three 
weeks  I'll  engage  to  have  five  hundred  barrels  of  sperm 
oil  under  hatches :  enough  to  give  every  mother's  son 
of  ye  a  handful  of  dollars  when  we  get  to  Sydney.  If 
ye  don't  agree  to  this,  ye  won't  have  a  farthing  coming 
to  ye.1" 

Doctor  Long  Ghost  at  once  broke  in.  He  said  that 
such  a  thing  was  not  to  be  dreamt  of ;  that  if  the  cap- 
tain died,  the  mate  was  in  duty  bound  to  navigate  the 
ship  to  the  nearest  civilised  port,  and  deliver  her  up 
into  an  English  consul's  hands;  when,  in  all  proba- 
bility, after  a  run  ashore,  the  crew  would  be  sent  home. 
Everything  forbade  the  mate's  plan.  "Still,"  said  he, 
assuming  an  air  of  indifference,  "  if  the  men  say  stick 

1  The  men  were  shipped  "  by  the  lay ;  "  in  other  words,  they  received 
no  wages;  but,  by  the  articles,  were  entitled  to  a  certain  portion  of  the 
profits  of  the  voyage. 


56  omoo. 

it  out,  stick  it  out  say  I ;  but  in  that  case,  the  sooner 
we  get  to  those  islands  of  yours  the  better." 

Something  more  he  went  on  to  say;  and  from  the 
manner  in  which  the  rest  regarded  him,  it  was  plain 
that  our  fate  was  in  his  hands.  It  was  finally  resolved 
upon,  that  if  Captain  Guy  was  no  better  in  twenty-four 
hours,  the  ship's  head  should  be  pointed  for  the  island 
of  Tahiti. 

This  announcement  produced  a  strong  sensation  — 
the  sick  rallied  —  and  the  rest  speculated  as  to  what 
was  next  to  befall  us ;  while  the  doctor,  without  allud- 
ing to  Guy,  congratulated  me  upon  the  prospect  of  soon 
beholding  a  place  so  famous  as  the  island  in  question. 

The  night  after  the  holding  of  the  council,  I  hap- 
pened to  go  on  deck  in  the  middle  watch,  and  found 
the  yards  braced  sharp  upon  the  larboard  tack,  with  the 
south-east  trades  strong  on  our  bow.  The  captain  was 
no  better ;  and  we  were  off  for  Tahiti. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ROPE  YARN. 


While  gliding  along  on  our  way,  I  cannot  well 
omit  some  account  of  a  poor  devil  we  had  among  us, 
who  went  by  the  name  of  Rope  Yarn,  or  Ropey. 

He  was  a  nondescript  who  had  joined  the  ship  as  a 
landsman.  Being  so  excessively  timid  and  awkward, 
it  was  thought  useless  to  try  and  make  a  sailor  of  him ; 
so  he  was  translated  into  the  cabin  as  steward ;  the  man 
previously  rilling  that  post,  a  good  seaman,  going 
among  the  crew  and  taking  his  place.  But  poor 
Ropey  proved   quite  as    clumsy   among   the  crockery 


ROPE  YARN.  57 

as  in  the  rigging;  and  one  day  when  the  ship  was 
pitching,  having  stumbled  into  the  cabin  with  a  wooden 
tureen  of  soup,  he  scalded  the  officers  so  that  they  didn't 
get  over  it  in  a  week.  Upon  which,  he  was  dismissed, 
and  returned  to  the  forecastle. 

Now,  nobody  is  so  heartily  despised  as  a  pusillani- 
mous, lazy,  good-for-nothing  land-lubber;  a  sailor  has 
no  bowels  of  compassion  for  him.  Yet,  useless  as  such 
a  character  may  be  in  many  respects,  a  ship's  company 
is  by  no  means  disposed  to  let  him  reap  any  benefit 
from  his  deficiencies.  Regarded  in  the  light  of  a 
mechanical  power,  whenever  there  is  any  plain,  hard 
work  to  be  done,  he  is  put  to  it  like  a  lever;  every  one 
giving  him  a  pry. 

Then,  again,  he  is  set  about  all  the  vilest  work.  Is 
there  a  heavy  job  at  tarring  to  be  done,  he  is  pitched 
neck  and  shoulders  into  a  tar-barrel,  and  set  to  work  at 
it.  Moreover,  he  is  made  to  fetch  and  carry  like  a 
dog.  Like  as  not,  if  the  mate  sends  him  after  his 
quadrant,  on  the  way  he  is  met  by  the  captain,  who 
orders  him  to  pick  some  oakum;  and  while  he  is  hunt- 
ing up  a  bit  of  rope,  a  sailor  comes  along  and  wants  to 
know  what  the  deuce  he's  after,  and  bids  him  be  off  to 
the  forecastle. 

"Obey  the  last  order,"  is  a  precept  inviolable  at  sea. 
So  the  land-lubber,  afraid  to  refuse  to  do  anything, 
rushes  about  distracted,  and  does  nothing:  in  the  end 
receiving  a  shower  of  kicks  and  cuffs  from  all  quarters. 

Added  to  his  other  hardships,  he  is  seldom  permitted 
to  open  his  mouth  unless  spoken  to;  and  then,  he 
might  better  keep  silent.  Alas  for  him!  if  he  should 
happen  to  be  anything  of  a  droll ;  or  in  an  evil  hour 
should  he  perpetrate  a  joke,  he  would  never  know  the 
last  of  it. 


58  omoo. 

The  witticisms  of  others,  however,  upon  himself, 
must  be  received  in  the  greatest  good-humour. 

Woe  be  unto  him,  if  at  meal-times  he  so  much  as 
look  sideways  at  the  beef-kid  before  the  rest  are  helped. 

Then  he  is  obliged  to  plead  guilty  to  every  piece 
of  mischief  which  the  real  perpetrator  refuses  to  ac- 
knowledge; thus  taking  the  place  of  that  sneaking 
rascal,  nobody,  ashore.  In  short,  there  is  no  end  to 
his  tribulations. 

The  land-lubber's  spirits  often  sink,  and  the  first 
result  of  his  being  moody  and  miserable,  is  naturally 
enough  an  utter  neglect  of  his  toilet. 

The  sailors,  perhaps,  ought  to  make  allowances ;  but 
heartless  as  they  are,  they  do  not.  No  sooner  is  his 
cleanliness  questioned,  than  they  rise  upon  him  like  a 
mob  of  the  Middle  Ages  upon  a  Jew;  drag  him  into 
the  lee-scuppers,  and  strip  him  to  the  buff.  In  vain  he 
bawls  for  mercy;  in  vain  calls  upon  the  captain  to 
save  him. 

Alas !  I  say  again,  for  the  land-lubber  at  sea.  He  is 
the  veriest  wretch  the  watery  world  over.  And  such 
was  Rope  Yarn ;  of  all  land-lubbers,  the  most  lubberly 
and  the  most  miserable.  A  forlorn,  stunted,  hook- 
visaged  mortal  he  was  too;  one  of  those,  whom  you 
know  at  a  glance  to  have  been  tried  hard  and  long  in 
the  furnace  of  affliction.  His  face  was  an  absolute 
puzzle;  though  sharp  and  sallow,  it  had  neither  the 
wrinkles  of  age  nor  the  smoothness  of  youth ;  so  that, 
for  the  soul  of  me,  I  could  hardly  tell  whether  he  was 
twenty-five  or  fifty. 

But  to  his  history.  In  his  better  days,  it  seems  he 
had  been  a  journeyman  baker  in  London,  somewhere 
about  Holborn ;  and  on  Sundays  wore  a  blue  coat  and 
metal  buttons,  and  spent  his  afternoons  in  a  tavern, 


ROPE   YARN.  59 

smoking  his  pipe  and  drinking  his  ale,  like  a  free  and 
easy  journeyman  baker  that  he  was.  But  this  did  not 
last  long ;  for  an  intermeddling  old  fool  was  the  ruin 
of  him.  He  was  told  that  London  might  do  very  well 
for  elderly  gentlemen  and  invalids ;  but  for  a  lad  of 
spirit,  Australia  was  the  Land  of  Promise.  In  a  dark 
day  Ropey  wound  up  his  affairs  and  embarked. 

Arriving  in  Sydney  with  a  small  capital,  and  after  a 
while  waxing  snug  and  comfortable  by  dint  of  hard 
kneading,  he  took  unto  himself  a  wife ;  and  so  far  as 
she  was  concerned,  might  then  have  gone  into  the 
country  and  retired;  for  she  effectually  did  his  busi- 
ness. In  short,  the  lady  worked  him  woe  in  heart  and 
pocket;  and  in  the  end,  ran  off  with  his  till  and  his 
foreman.  Ropey  went  to  the  sign  of  the  Pipe  and 
Tankard;  got  fuddled;  and  over  his  fifth  pot  meditated 
suicide  —  an  intention  carried  out ;  for  the  next  day  he 
shipped  as  landsman  aboard  the  Julia,  South  Seaman. 

The  ex-baker  would  have  fared  far  better,  had  it  not 
been  for  his  heart/ w^hich  was  soft  and  underdone.  A 
kind  word  made  a  fool  of  him;  and  hence  most  of  the 
scrapes  he  got  into.  Two  or  three  wags,  aware  of  his 
iDnrmity,  used  to  "draw  him  out"  in  conversation, 
whenever  the  most  crabbed  and  choleric  old  seamen 
were  present. 

To  give  an  instance.  The  watch  below,  just  waked 
from  their  sleep,  are  all  at  breakfast;  and  Ropey,  in 
one  corner,  is  disconsolately  partaking  of  its  delicacies. 
Now,  sailors  newly  waked  are  no  cherubs;  and  there- 
fore not  a  word  is  spoken,  everybody  munching  his 
biscuit,  grim  and  unshaven.  At  this  juncture  an  af- 
fable-looking scamp  —  Flash  Jack  —  crosses  the  fore- 
castle, tin  can  in  hand,  and  seats  himself  beside  the 
land-lubber. 


60  OMOO. 

"Hard  fare  this,  Ropey,"  he  begins;  "hard  enough, 
too,  for  them  that's  known  better  and  lived  in  Lun'nun. 
I  say  now,  Ropey,  s 'posing  you  were  back  to  Holborn 
this  morning,  what  would  you  have  for  breakfast,  eh?" 

"Have  for  breakfast!"  cried  Ropey,  in  a  rapture. 
"Don't  speak  of  it!" 

"What  ails  that  fellow?"  here  growled  an  old  sea- 
bear,  turning  round  savagely. 

"Oh,  nothing,  nothing,"  said  Jack;  and  then,  lean- 
ing over  to  Rope  Yarn,  he  bade  him  go  on,  but  speak 
lower. 

"Well,  then,"  said  he,  in  a  smugged  tone,  his  eyes 
lighting  up  like  two  lanterns,  "well,  then,  I'd  go  to 
Mother  Moll's  that  makes  the  great  muffins:  I'd  go 
there,  you  know,  and  cock  my  foot  on  the  'ob,  and 
call  for  a  noggin  o'  somethink  to  begin  with." 

"And  what  then,  Ropey?" 

"Why  then,  Flashy,"  continued  the  poor  victim, 
unconsciously  warming  with  his  theme ;  "why  then,  I'd 
draw  my  chair  up  and  call  for  Betty,  the  gal  wot  tends 
to  customers.  Betty,  my  dear,  says  I,  you  looks 
charmin'  this  mornin' ;  give  me  a  nice  rasher  of  bacon 
and  heggs,  Betty,  my  love;  and  I  wants  a  pint  of 
hale,  and  three  nice  'ot  muffins  and  butter  —  and  a 
slice  of  Cheshire ;  and  Betty,  I  wants  —  " 

"  A  shark-steak,  and  be  hanged  to  you !  "  roared  Black 
Dan,  with  an  oath.  Whereupon,  dragged  over  the 
chests,  the  ill-starred  fellow  is  pummelled  on  deck. 

I  always  made  a  point  of  befriending  poor  Ropey 
when  I  could ;  and,  for  this  reason,  was  a  great  favourite 
of  his. 


CHIPS  AND  BUNGS.  61 

CHAPTER  XV. 

CHIPS  AND  BUNGS. 

Bound  into  port,  Chips  and  Bungs  increased  their 
devotion  to  the  bottle ;  and,  to  the  unspeakable  envy  of 
the  rest,  these  jolly  companions — or  "the  Partners,"  as 
the  men  called  them  —  rolled  about  deck,  day  after 
day,  in  the  merriest  mood  imaginable. 

But  jolly  as  they  were  in  the  main,  two  more  discreet 
tipplers  it  would  be  hard  to  find.  No  one  ever  saw 
them  take  anything,  except  when  the  regular  allow- 
ance was  served  out  by  the  steward ;  and  to  make  them 
quite  sober  and  sensible,  you  had  only  to  ask  them  how 
they  contrived  to  keep  otherwise.  Sometime  after, 
however,  their  secret  leaked  out. 

The  casks  of  Pisco  were  kept  down  the  after-hatch- 
way, which,  for  this  reason,  was  secured  with  bar  and 
padlock.  The  cooper,  nevertheless,  from  time  to  time, 
effected  a  burglarious  entry,  by  descending  into  the 
fore-hold;  and  then,  at  the  risk  of  being  jammed  to 
death,  crawling  along  over  a  thousand  obstructions,  to 
where  the  casks  were  stowed. 

On  the  first  expedition,  the  only  one  to  be  got  at  lay 
among  others,  upon  its  bilge,  with  the  bung-hole  well 
over.  With  a  bit  of  iron  hoop,  suitably  bent,  and  a 
good  deal  of  prying  and  punching,  the  bung  was  forced 
in;  and  then  the  cooper's  neck-handkerchief,  attached 
to  the  end  of  the  hoop,  was  drawn  in  and  out  —  the  ab- 
sorbed liquor  being  deliberately  squeezed  into  a  small 
bucket. 

Bungs  was  a  man  after  a  bar-keeper's  own  heart. 


62  omoo. 

Drinking  steadily,  until  just  manageably  tipsy,  he  con- 
trived to  continue  so ;  getting  neither  more  nor  less  in- 
ebriated, but,  to  use  his  own  phrase,  remaining  "  just 
about  right."  When  in  this  interesting  state,  he  had  a 
free  lurch  in  his  gait,  a  queer  way  of  hitching  up  his 
waistbands,  looked  unnecessarily  steady  at  you  when 
speaking,  and,  for  the  rest,  was  in  very  tolerable  spirits. 
At  these  times,  moreover,  he  was  exceedingly  patri- 
otic ;  and  in  a  most  amusing  way,  frequently  showed  his 
patriotism  whenever  he  happened  to  encounter  Dunk,  a 
good-natured,  square-faced  Dane,  aboard. 

It  must  be  known  here,  by  the  by,  that  the  cooper 
had  a  true  sailor  admiration  for  Lord  Nelson.  But  he 
entertained  a  very  erroneous  idea  of  the  personal  ap- 
pearance of  the  hero.  Not  content  with  depriving  him 
of  an  eye,  and  an  arm,  he  stoutly  maintained  that  he 
had  also  lost  a  leg  in  one  of  his  battles.  Under  this 
impression,  he  sometimes  hopped  up  to  Dunk,  with  one 
leg  curiously  locked  behind  him  into  his  right  arm,  at 
the  same  time  closing  an  eye. 

In  this  attitude  he  would  call  upon  him  to  look  up, 
and  behold  the  man  who  gave  his  countrymen  such  a 
thrashing  at  Copenhagen.  "Look  you,  Dunk,"  says 
he,  staggering  about,  and  winking  hard  with  one  eye, 
to  keep  the  other  shut,  "Look  you:  one  man  —  hang 
me,  half  a  man  —  with  one  leg,  one  arm,  one  eye — 
hang  me,  with  only  a  piece  of  a  carcass,  flogged  your 
whole  shabby  nation.     Do  you  deny  it,  you  lubber?" 

The  Dane  was  a  mule  of  a  man,  and  understanding 
but  little  English,  seldom  made  anything  of  a  reply; 
so  the  cooper  generally  dropped  his  leg,  and  marched 
off,  with  the  air  of  a  man  who  despised  saying  any- 
thing further. 


WE  ENCOUNTER  A   GALE.  63 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

WE  ENCOUNTER   A   GALE. 

The  mild  blue  weather  we  enjoyed  after  leaving  the 
Marquesas,  gradually  changed  as  we  ran  farther  south 
and  approached  Tahiti.  In  these  generally  tranquil 
seas,  the  wind  sometimes  blows  with  great  violence; 
though,  as  every  sailor  knows,  a  spicy  gale  in  the  tropic 
latitudes  of  the  Pacific  is  far  different  from  a  tempest 
in  the  howling  North  Atlantic.  We  soon  found  our- 
selves battling  with  the  waves,  while  the  before  mild 
Trades,  like  a  woman  roused,  blew  fiercely,  but  still 
warmly,  in  our  face. 

For  all  this,  the  mate  carried  sail  without  stint ;  and 
as  for  brave  Little  Jule,  she  stood  up  to  it  well ;  and 
though  once  in  a  while  floored  in  the  trough  of  a  sea, 
sprang  to  her  keel  again  and  showed  play.  Every  old 
timber  groaned  —  every  spar  buckled  —  every  chafed 
cord  strained ;  and  yet,  spite  of  all,  she  plunged  on  her 
way  like  a  racer.  Jermin,  sea- jockey  that  he  was, 
sometimes  stood  in  the  fore-chains,  with  the  spray 
every  now  and  then  dashing  over  him,  and  shouting 
out,  "Well  done,  Jule  —  drive  into  it,  sweetheart! 
Hurrah!" 

One  afternoon  there  was  a  mighty  queer  noise  aloft, 
which  set  the  men  running  in  every  direction.  It  was 
the  main-t'-gallant-mast.  Crash!  it  broke  off  just 
above  the  cap,  and  held  there  by  the  rigging,  dashed 
with  every  roll,  from  side  to  side,  with  all  the  hamper 
that  belonged  to  it.  The  yard  hung  by  a  hair,  and  at 
every   pitch   thumped   against   the   cross-trees;    while 


64  OMOO. 

the  sails  streamed,  in  ribbons,  and  the  loose  ropes 
coiled,  and  thrashed  the  air,  like  whip-lashes.  "  Stand 
from  under!  "  and  down  came  the  rattling  blocks  like 
so  many  shot.  The  yard,  with  a  snap  and  a  plunge, 
went  hissing  into  the  sea,  disappeared,  and  shot  its 
full  length  out  again.  The  crest  of  a  great  wave  then 
broke  over  it  —  the  ship  rushed  by  —  and  we  saw  the 
stick  no  more. 

While  this  lively  breeze  continued,  Baltimore,  our 
old  black  cook,  was  in  great  tribulation. 

Like  most  South  Seamen,  the  Julia's  caboose,  or 
cook-house,  was  planted  on  the  larboard  side  of  the 
forecastle.  Under  such  a  press  of  canvas,  and  with 
the  heavy  sea  running,  the  barque,  diving  her  bows 
under,  now  and  then  shipped  green  glassy  waves, 
which,  breaking  over  the  head-rails,  fairly  deluged 
that  part  of  the  ship  and  washed  clean  aft.  The 
caboose-house  —  thought  to  be  firmly  lashed  down  to 
its  place  —  served  as  a  sort  of  breakwater  to  the 
inundation. 

About  these  times,  Baltimore  always  wore  what  he 
called  his  "  gale-suit ; "  among  other  things,  compris- 
ing a  Sou'-Wester  and  a  huge  pair  of  well-anointed 
sea-boots,  reaching  almost  to  his  knees.  Thus  equipped 
for  a  ducking  or  a  drowning,  as  the  case  might  be,  our 
culinary  high-priest  drew  to  the  slides  of  his  temple, 
and  performed  his  sooty  rites  in  secret. 

So  afraid  was  the  old  man  of  being  washed  overboard, 
that  he  actually  fastened  one  end  of  a  small  line  to  his 
waistbands,  and  coiling  the  rest  about  him,  made  use 
of  it  as  occasion  required.  When  engaged  outside,  he 
unwound  the  cord,  and  secured  one  end  to  a  ring-bolt 
in  the  deck ;  so  that  if  chance  sea  washed  him  off  his 
feet,  it  could  do  nothing  more. 


WE  ENCOUNTER  A    GALE.  65 

One  evening,  just  as  he  was  getting  supper,  the  Julia 
reared  upon  her  stern  like  a  vicious  colt,  and  when  she 
settled  again  forward,  fairly  dished  a  tremendous  sea. 
Nothing  could  withstand  it.  One  side  of  the  rotten 
head-bulwarks  came  in  with  a  crash;  it  smote  the 
caboose,  tore  it  from  its  moorings,  and  after  boxing  it 
about,  dashed  it  against  the  windlass,  where  it  stranded. 
The  water  then  poured  along  the  deck  like  a  flood, 
rolling  over  and  over  pots,  pans,  and  kettles,  and  even 
old  Baltimore  himself,  who  went  breaching  along  like 
a  porpoise. 

Striking  the  taffrail,  the  wave  subsided,  and,  wash- 
ing from  side  to  side,  left  the  drowning  cook  high  and 
dry  on  the  after-hatch:  his  extinguished  pipe  still 
between  his  teeth,  and  almost  bitten  in  two. 

The  few  men  on  deck  having  sprung  into  the  main- 
rigging,  sailor-like,  did  nothing  but  roar  at  his 
calamity. 

The  same  night,  our  flying-gib-boom  snapped  off 
like  a  pipe-stem,  and  our  spanker-gaff  came  down  by 
the  run. 

By  the  following  morning,  the  wind  in  a  great  meas- 
ure had  gone  down ;  the  sea  with  it ;  and  by  noon  we 
had  repaired  our  damages  as  well  as  we  could,  and  were 
sailing  along  as  pleasantly  as  ever. 

But  there  was  no  help  for  the  demolished  bulwarks; 
we  had  nothing  to  replace  them ;  and  so,  whenever  it 
breezed  again,  our  dauntless  craft  went  along  with  her 
splintered  prow  dripping,  but  kicking  up  her  fleet  heels 
just  as  high  as  before. 


66  omoo. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  CORAL  ISLANDS. 

How  far  we  sailed  to  the  westward  after  leaving  the 
Marquesas,  or  what  might  have  been  our  latitude  and 
longitude  at  any  particular  time,  or  how  many  leagues 
we  voyaged  on  our  passage  to  Tahiti,  are  matters  about 
which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  cannot  with  any  accuracy 
enlighten  the  reader.  Jermin,  as  navigator,  kept  our 
reckoning ;  and,  as  hinted  before,  kept  it  all  to  himself. 
At  noon  he  brought  out  his  quadrant,  a  rusty  old  thing, 
so  odd-looking  that  it  might  have  belonged  to  an 
astrologer. 

Sometimes,  when  rather  flustered  from  his  potations, 
he  went  staggering  about  deck,  instrument  to  eye, 
looking  all  over  for  the  sun  —  a  phenomenon  which 
any  sober  observer  might  have  seen  right  overhead. 
How  upon  earth  he  contrived,  on  some  occasions,  to 
settle  his  latitude,  is  more  than  I  can  tell.  The  longi- 
tude he  must  either  have  obtained  by  the  rule  of  three, 
or  else  by  special  revelation.  Not  that  the  chronom- 
eter in  the  cabin  was  seldom  to  be  relied  on,  or  was 
any  ways  fidgety;  quite  the  contrary;  it  stood  stock- 
still  ;  and  by  that  means,  no  doubt,  the  true  Greenwich 
time  —  at  the  period  of  its  stopping,  at  least  —  was 
preserved  to  a  second. 

The  mate,  however,  in  addition  to  his  "  dead  reckon- 
ing," pretended  to  ascertain  his  meridian  distance  from 
Bow  bells  by  an  occasional  lunar  observation.  This,  I 
believe,  consists  in  obtaining,  with  the  proper  instru- 
ments,  the  angular  distance  between  the   moon   and 


THE  CORAL  ISLANDS.  67 

some  one  of  the  stars.  The  operation  generally  re- 
quires two  observers  to  take  sights,  at  one  and  the 
same  time. 

Now,  though  the  mate  alone  might  have  been  thought 
well  calculated  for  this,  inasmuch  as  he  generally  saw 
things  double,  the  doctor  was  usually  called  upon  to 
play  a  sort  of  second  quadrant  to  Jermin's  first;  and 
what  with  the  capers  of  both,  they  used  to  furnish  a 
good  deal  of  diversion.  The  mate's  tremulous  attempts 
to  level  his  instrument  at  the  star  he  was  after,  were 
comical  enough.  Formy^  own  part,  when  he  did  catch 
sight  of  it,  IJiafHtiy^Eiew  how  he  managed  to  separate 
it  from  ther  astral  host  revolving  in  his  own  brain. 

Howevet  by  hook  or  by  crook,  he  piloted  usalo«tf ; 
and  before  many  thtysra,  fellow  mhiI  ulufL"to^ararn  a  rent 
in  the  fore-top-sail,  threw  his  hat  into  the  air,  and 
bawled  out,  "Land  ho!  " 

Land  it  was;  but  in  what  part  of  the  South  Seas, 
Jermin  alone  knew,  and  some  doubted  whether  even  he 
did.  But  no  sooner  was  the  announcement  made,  than 
he  came  running  on  deck,  spy-glass  in  hand,  and  clap- 
ping it  to  his  eye,  turned  round  with  the  air  of  a  man 
receiving  indubitable  assurance  of  something  he  was 
quite  certain  of  before.  The  land  was  precisely  that 
for  which  he  had  been  steering;  and,  with  a  wind,  in 
less  than  twenty-four  hours  we  would  sight  Tahiti. 
What  he  said  was  verified. 

The  island  turned  out  to  be  one  of  the  Pomotu  or 
Low  Group  —  sometimes  called  the  Coral  Islands  — 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  and  interesting  in  the 
Pacific.  Lying  to  the  east  of  Tahiti,  the  nearest  are 
within  a  day's  sail  of  that  place. 

They  are  very  numerous;  mostly  small,  low,  and 
level;    sometimes  wooded,   but   always   covered   with 


68  omoo. 

verdure.  Many  are  crescent-shaped ;  others  resemble  a 
horse-shoe  in  figure.  These  last  are  nothing  more  than 
narrow  circles  of  land,  surrounding  a  smooth  lagoon, 
connected  by  a  single  opening  with  the  sea.  Some  of 
the  lagoons,  said  to  have  subterranean  outlets,  have  no 
visible  ones;  the  enclosing  island,  in  such  cases,  being 
a  complete  zone  of  emerald.  Other  lagoons  still,  are 
girdled  by  numbers  of  small  green  islets,  very  near  to 
each  other. 

The  origin  of  the  entire  group  is  generally  ascribed 
to  the  coral  insect. 

According  to  some  naturalists,  this  wonderful  little 
creature,  commencing  its  erections  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  after  the  lapse  of  centuries,  carries  them  up  to  the 
surface,  where  its  labours  cease.  Here,  the  inequali- 
ties of  the  coral  collect  all  floating  bodies ;  forming,  after 
a  time,  a  soil,  in  which  the  seeds  carried  thither  by  birds 
germinate,  and  cover  the  whole  with  vegetation.  Here 
and  there,  all  over  this  archipelago,  numberless  naked, 
detached  coral  formations  are  seen,  just  emerging, 
as  it  were,  from  the  ocean.  These  would  appear  to 
be  islands  in  the  very  process  of  creation  —  at  any 
rate,  one  involuntarily  concludes  so,  on  beholding 
them.1 

As  far  as  I  know,  there  are  but  few  bread-fruit  trees 
in  any  part  of  the  Pomotu  group.  In  many  places  the 
cocoa-nut  even  does  not  grow;  though,  in  others,  it 
largely  flourishes.     Consequently,  some  of  the  islands 


1  The  above  is  the  popular  idea  on  the  subject.  But  of  late  a  theory 
directly  the  reverse  has  been  started.  Instead  of  regarding  the  phenom- 
ena last  described  as  indicating  anything  like  an  active,  creative  power 
now  in  operation,  it  is  maintained  that,  together  with  the  entire  group, 
they  are  merely  the  remains  of  a  continent,  long  ago  worn  away,  and 
broken  up  by  the  action  of  the  sea. 


THE  CORAL  ISLANDS.  69 

are  altogether  uninhabited ;  others  support  but  a  single 
family;  and  in  no  place  is  the  population  very  large. 
In  some  respects  the  natives  resemble  the  Tahitians: 
their  language,  too,  is  very  similar.  The  people  of 
the  south-easterly  clusters  —  concerning  whom,  how- 
ever, but  little  is  known  —  have  a  bad  name  as  canni- 
bals; and  for  that  reason  their  hospitality  is  seldom 
taxed  by  the  mariner. 

Within  a  few  years  past,  missionaries  from  the 
Society  group  have  settled  among  the  leeward  islands, 
where  the  natives  have  treated  them  kindly.  Indeed, 
nominally  many  of  these  people  are  now  Christians; 
and,  through  the  political  influence  of  their  instruc- 
tors, no  doubt,  a  short  time  since  came  under  the 
allegiance  of  Pomaree,  the  Queen  of  Tahiti;  with 
which  island  they  always  carried  on  considerable  in- 
tercourse. 

The  Coral  Islands  are  principally  visited  by  the 
pearl-shell  fishermen,  who  arrive  in  small  schooners, 
carrying  not  more  than  five  or  six  men. 

For  a  long  while  the  business  was  engrossed  by  Mer- 
enhout,  the  French  consul  at  Tahiti,  but  a  Dutchman 
by  birth,  who,  in  one  year,  is  said  to  have  sent  to 
France  fifty  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  shells.  The 
oysters  are  found  in  the  lagoons,  and  about  the  reefs ; 
and,  for  half-a-dozen  nails  a  day,  or  a  compen- 
sation still  less,  the  natives  are  hired  to  dive  after 
them. 

A  great  deal  of  cocoa-nut  oil  is  also  obtained  in  vari- 
ous places.  Some  of  the  uninhabited  islands  are 
covered  with  dense  groves;  and  the  ungathered  nuts 
which  have  fallen  year  after  year,  lie  upon  the  ground 
in  incredible  quantities.  Two  or  three  men,  provided 
with  the  necessary  apparatus  for  trying  out  the  oil, 


70  03IOO. 

will,  in  the  course  of  a  week  or  two,  obtain  enough  to 
load  one  of  the  large  sea-canoes. 

Cocoa-nut  oil  is  now  manufactured  in  different  parts 
of  the  South  Seas,  and  forms  no  small  part  of  the  traffic 
carried  on  with  trading  vessels.  A  considerable  quan- 
tit}-  is  annually  exported  from  the  Society  Islands  to 
Sydney.  It  is  used  in  lamps  and  for  machinery,  being 
much  cheaper  than  the  sperm,  and,  for  both  purposes, 
better  than  the  right-whale  oil.  They  bottle  it  up  in 
large  bamboos,  six  or  eight  feet  long ;  and  these  form 
part  of  the  circulating  medium  of  Tahiti. 

To  return  to  the  ship.  The  wind  dying  away,  even- 
ing came  on  before  we  drew  near  the  island.  But  we 
had  it  in  view  during  the  whole  afternoon. 

It  was  small  and  round,  presenting  one  enamelled 
level,  free  from  trees,  and  did  not  seem  four  feet  above 
the  water.  Beyond  it  was  another  and  larger  island, 
about  which  a  tropical  sunset  was  throwing  its  glories ; 
flushing  all  that  part  of  the  heavens,  and  making  its 
flame  like  a  vast  dyed  oriel  illuminated. 

The  Trades  scarce  filled  our  swooning  sails ;  the  air 
was  languid  with  the  aroma  of  a  thousand  strange, 
flowering  shrubs.  Upon  inhaling  it,  one  of  tj 
who  had  recently  shown  symptoms  of  scurvy/cried  out 
in  pain,  and  was  carried  below.  This  is  njp  unusual 
effect  in  such  cases. 

On  we  glided,  within  less  than  a  cable's  lenj 
the  shore,  which  was  margined  with  foam  that  sparkh 
all  round.  Within  nestled  the  still,  blue  lagoon.  No 
living  thing  was  seen,  and,  for  aught  we  knew,  we 
might  have  been  the  first  mortals  who  had  ever  beheld 
the  spot.  The  thought  was  quickening  to  the  fancy; 
nor  could  I  help  dreaming  of  the  endless  grottoes 
and  galleries,  far  below  the  reach  of  the  mariner's 
lead. 


TAHITI.  71 

And  what  strange  shapes  were  lurking  there !  Think 
of  those  arch  creatures,  the  mermaids,  chasing  each 
other  in  and  out  of  the  coral  cells,  and  catching  their 
long  hair  in  the  coral  twigs. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

TAHITI. 

At  early  dawn  of  the  following  morning  we  saw  the 
Peaks  of  Tahiti.  In  clear  weather  they  may  be  seen  at 
the  distance  of  ninety  miles. 

"  Hivarhoo  ! "  shouted  Wymontoo,  overjoyed,  and  run- 
ning out  upon  the  bowsprit  when  the  land  was  first  faintly 
descried  in  the  distance.  But,  when  the  clouds  floated 
away,  and  showed  the  three  peaks  standing  like  obelisks 
against  the  sky,  and  the  bold  shore  undulating  along  the 
horizon,  the  tears  gushed  from  his  eyes.  Poor  fellow ! 
It  was  not  Hivarhoo.  Green  Hivarhoo  was  many  a  long 
league  off. 

Tahiti  is  by  far  the  most  famous  island  in  the  South 
Seas ;  indeed,  a  variety  of  causes  has  made  it  almost 
classic.  Its  natural  features  alone  distinguish  it  from 
the  surrounding  groups.  Two  round  and  lofty  promon- 
tories, whose  mountains  rise  nine  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  ocean,  are  connected  by  a  low,  narrow 
isthmus;  the  whole  being  some  one  hundred  miles  in 
circuit.  From  the  great  central  peaks  of  the  larger 
peninsula  —  Orohena,  Aorai,  and  Pirohitee  —  the  land 
radiates  on  all  sides  to  the  sea  in  sloping  green  ridges. 
Between  these  are  broad  and  shadowy  valleys  —  in 
aspect,  each  a  Tempe  —  watered  with  fine  streams,  and 
thickly  wooded.     Unlike   many  of   the   other  islands, 


72  omoo. 

there  extends  nearly  all  round  Tahiti  a  belt  of  low, 
alluvial  soil,  teeming  with  the  richest  vegetation.  Here, 
chiefly,  the  natives  dwell. 

Seen  from  the  sea,  the  prospect  is  magnificent.  It  is 
one  mass  of  shaded  tints  of  green,  from  beach  to  moun- 
tain top  ;  endlessly  diversified  with  valleys,  ridges,  glens, 
and  cascades.  Over  the  ridges,  here  and  there,  the  loftier 
peaks  fling  their  shadows,  and  far  down  the  valleys. 
At  the  head  of  these,  the  water-falls  flash  out  into  the 
sunlight  as  if  pouring  through  vertical  bowers  of  verdure. 
Such  enchantment,  too,  breathes  over  the  whole,  that  it 
seems  a  fairy  world,  all  fresh  and  blooming  from  the 
hand  of' the  Creator. 

Upon  a  near  approach,  the  picture  loses  not  its  attrac- 
tions. It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say,  that  to  a  European 
of  any  sensibility,  who  for  the  first  time  wanders  back 
into  these  valleys  —  away  from  the  haunts  of  the  natives 
—  the  ineffable  repose  and  beauty  of  the  landscape  is 
such,  that  every  object  strikes  him  like  something  seen 
in  a  dream ;  and  for  a  time  he  almost  refuses  to  believe 
that  scenes  like  these  should  have  a  commonplace  exist- 
ence. No  wonder  that  the  French  bestowed  upon  the 
island  the  appellation  of  the  New  Cytherea.  "  Often," 
says  De  Bougainville,  "  I  thought  I  was  walking  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden." 

Nor,  when  first  discovered,  did  the  inhabitants  of  this 
charming  country  at  all  diminish  the  wonder  and  admira- 
tion of  the  voyager.  Their  physical  beauty  and  amiable 
dispositions  harmonized  completely  with  the  softness  of 
their  clime.  In  truth,  everything  about  them  was  calcu- 
lated to  awaken  the  liveliest  interest.  Glance  at  their 
civil  and  religious  institutions.  To  their  king,  divine 
rites  were  paid;  while,  for  poetry,  their  mythology 
rivalled  that  of  ancient  Greece. 


TAHITI.  73 

Of  Tahiti,  earlier  and  more  full  accounts  were  given, 
than  of  any  other  island  in  Polynesia ;  and  this  is  the 
reason  why  it  still  retains  so  strong  a  hold  on  the  sympa- 
thies of  all  readers  of  South  Sea  voyages.  The  journals 
of  its  first  visitors,  containing,  as  they  did,  such  romantic 
descriptions  of  a  country  and  people  before  unheard  of, 
produced  a  marked  sensation  throughout  Europe;  and 
when  the  first  Tahitians  were  carried  thither,  Omai  in 
London,  and  Aotooroo  in  Paris,  were  caressed  by  nobles, 
scholars,  and  ladies. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  several  eventful  occurrences, 
more  or  less  connected  with  Tahiti,  have  tended  to 
increase  its  celebrity.  Over  two  centuries  ago,  Quiros, 
the  Spaniard,  is  supposed  to  have  touched  at  the  island ; 
and,  at  intervals,  Wallis,  Byron,  Cook,  De  Bougainville, 
Vancouver,  La  Perouse,  and  other  illustrious  navigators, 
refitted  their  vessels  in  its  harbours.  Here  the  famous 
Transit  of  Venus  was  observed  in  1769.  Here  the 
memorable  mutiny  of  the  Bounty  afterward  had  its 
origin.  It  was  to  the  pagans  of  Tahiti  that  the  first 
regularly  constituted  Protestant  missionaries  were  sent ; 
and  from  their  shores  also  have  sailed  successive  mis- 
sions to  the  neighbouring  islands. 

These,  with  other  events  which  might  be  mentioned, 
have  united  in  keeping  up  the  first  interest  which  the 
place  awakened;  and  the  recent  proceedings  of  the 
French  have  more  than  ever  called  forth  the  sympathies 
of  the  public. 


74  omoo. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A  SURPRISE.  —  MORE  ABOUT  BEMBO. 

The  sight  of  the  island  was  right  welcome.  Going 
into  harbour,  after  a  cruise,  is  always  joyous  enough ; 
and  the  sailor  is  apt  to  indulge  in  all  sorts  of  pleasant 
anticipations.  But  to  us,  the  occasion  was  heightened 
by  many  things  peculiar  to  our  situation. 

Since  steering  for  the  land,  our  prospects  had  been 
much  talked  over.  By  many  it  was  supposed,  that 
should  the  captain  leave  the  ship,  the  crew  were  no 
longer  bound  by  her  articles.  This  was  the  opinion  of 
our  forecastle  Cokes ;  though,  probably,  it  would  not 
have  been  sanctioned  by  the  Marine  Courts  of  Law.  At 
any  rate,  such  was  the  state  of  both  vessel  and  crew, 
that  whatever  might  be  the  event,  a  long  stay,  and 
many  holydays  in  Tahiti,  were  confidently  predicted. 

Everybody  was  in  high  spirits.  The  sick,  who  had 
been  improving  day  by  day  since  the  change  in  our  des- 
tination, were  on  deck,  and  leaning  over  the  bulwarks ; 
some  all  animation,  and  others  silently  admiring  an 
object  unrivalled  for  its  stately  beauty  —  Tahiti  from 
the  sea. 

The  quarter-deck,  however,  furnished  a  marked  con- 
trast to  what  was  going  on  at  the  other  end  of  the  ship. 
The  Mowree  was  there,  as  usual,  scowling  by  himself ; 
and  Jermin  walked  to  and  fro  in  deep  thought,  every 
now  and  then  looking  to  windward,  or  darting  into  the 
cabin  and  quickly  returning. 

With  all  our  light  sails  wooingly  spread,  we  held  on 
our  way,  until,  with  the  doctor's  glass,  Papeetee,  the 


A   SURPRISE.— MORE  ABOUT  BEMBO.  75 

village  metropolis  of  Tahiti,  came  into  view.  Several 
ships  were  descried  lying  in  the  harbour,  and  among 
them,  one  which  loomed  up  black  and  large ;  her  two 
rows  of  teeth  proclaiming  a  frigate.  This  was  the 
Reine  Blanche,  last  from  the  Marquesas,  and  carrying 
at  the  fore,  the  flag  of  Rear  Admiral  Du  Petit  Thouars. 
Hardly  had  we  made  her  out,  when  the  booming  of  her 
guns  came  over  the  water.  She  was  firing  a  salute, 
which  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  in  honour  of  a  treaty ; 
or  rather  —  as  far  as  the  natives  were  concerned  —  a 
forced  cession  of  Tahiti  to  the  French,  that  morning 
concluded. 

The  cannonading  had  hardly  died  away,  when  Jer- 
min's  voice  was  heard  giving  an  order  so  unexpected 
that  every  one  started.  "  Stand  by  to  haul  back  the 
main-yard ! " 

"  What's  that  mean  ?  "  shouted  the  men,  "  are  we  not 
going  into  port  ?  " 

"  Tumble  aft  here,  and  no  words  !  "  cried  the  mate ; 
and  in  a  moment  the  main-yard  swung  round,  when, 
with  her  jib-boom  pointing  out  to  sea,  the  Julia  lay  as 
quiet  as  a  duck.  We  all  looked  blank  —  what  was  to 
come  next? 

Presently  the  steward  made  his  appearance,  carrying 
a  mattress,  which  he  spread  out  in  the  stern-sheets  of 
the  captain's  boat;  two  or  three  chests,  and  other 
things  belonging  to  his  master,  were  similarly  disposed 
of. 

This  was  enough.  A  slight  hint  suffices  for  a 
sailor. 

Still  adhering  to  his  resolution  to  keep  the  ship  at 
sea  in  spite  of  everything,  the  captain,  doubtless,  in- 
tended to  set  himself  ashore,  leaving  the  vessel  under 
the  mate,  to  resume  her  voyage  at  once;   but  after  a 


73  omoo. 

certain  period  agreed  upon,  to  touch  at  the  island  and 
take  him  off.  All  this,  of  course,  could  easily  be  done, 
without  approaching  any  nearer  the  land  with  the  Julia 
than  we  now  were.  Invalid  whaling  captains  often 
adopt  a  plan  like  this  ;  but,  in  the  present  instance,  it 
was  wholly  unwarranted ;  and,  everything  considered, 
at  war  with  the  commonest  principles  of  prudence  and 
humanity.  And  although,  on  Guy's  part,  this  resolu- 
tion showed  more  hardihood  than  he  had  ever  been 
given  credit  for,  it  at  the  same  time  argued  an  unaccount- 
able simplicity,  in  supposing  that  such  a  crew  would,  in 
any  way,  submit  to  the  outrage. 

It  was  soon  made  plain  that  we  were  right  in  our  sus- 
picions ;  and  the  men  became  furious.  The  cooper  and 
carpenter  volunteered  to  head  a  mutiny  forthwith  ;  and, 
while  Jermin  was  below,  four  or  five  rushed  aft  to  fasten 
down  the  cabin  scuttle  ;  others,  throwing  down  the 
main-braces,  called  out  to  the  rest  to  lend  a  hand,  and 
fill  away  for  the  land.  All  this  was  done  in  an  instant ; 
and  things  were  looking  critical,  when  Doctor  Long 
Ghost  and  myself  prevailed  upon  them  to  wait  a  while, 
and  do  nothing  hastily ;  there  was  plenty  of  time,  and 
the  ship  was  completely  in  our  power. 

While  the  preparations  were  still  going  on  in  the 
cabin,  we  mustered  the  men  together,  and  went  into 
council  upon  the  forecastle. 

It  was  with  much  difficult}?-  that  we  could  bring  these 
rash  spirits  to  a  calm  consideration  of  the  case.  But 
the  doctor's  influence  at  last  began  to  tell ;  and,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  they  agreed  to  be  guided  by  him  ; 
assured  that,  if  they  did  so,  the  ship  would  eventually 
be  brought  to  her  anchors,  without  any  one  getting  into 
trouble.  Still  they  told  us,  up  and  down,  that  if  peace- 
able means  failed,  they  would  seize  Little  Jule,  and 


A   SURPRISE.—  MOBE  ABOUT  BEMBO.  77 

carry  her  into  Papeetee,  if  they  all  swung  for  it ;  but, 
for  the  present,  the  captain  should  have  his  own  way. 

By  this  time  everything  was  ready ;  the  boat  was 
lowered  and  brought  to  the  gangway  ;  and  the  captain 
was  helped  on  deck  by  the  mate  and  steward.  It  was 
the  first  time  we  had  seen  him  in  more  than  two  weeks, 
and  he  was  greatly  altered.  As  if  anxious  to  elude 
every  eye,  a  broad-brimmed  Payta  hat  was  pulled  down 
over  his  brow  ;  so  that  his  face  was  only  visible  when 
the  brim  flapped  aside.  By  a  sling,  rigged  from  the 
main-yard,  the  cook  and  Bembo  now  assisted  in  lower- 
ing him  into  the  boat.  As  he  went  moaning  over  the 
side,  he  must  have  heard  the  whispered  maledictions  of 
his  crew. 

While  the  steward  was  busy  adjusting  matters  in 
the  boat,  the  mate,  after  a  private  interview  with  the 
Mowree,  turned  round  abruptly,  and  told  us  that  he 
was  going  ashore  with  the  captain,  to  return  as  soon  as 
possible.  In  his  absence,  Bembo,  as  next  in  rank, 
would  command;  there  being  nothing  to  do  but  keep 
the  ship  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  land.  He  then 
sprang  into  the  boat,  and,  with  only  the  cook  and 
steward  as  oarsmen,  steered  for  the  shore. 

Guy's  thus  leaving  the  ship  in  the  men's  hands,  con- 
trary to  the  mate's  advice,  was  another  evidence  of  his 
simplicity ;  for,  at  this  particular  juncture,  had  neither 
the  doctor  nor  myself  been  aboard,  there  is  no  telling 
what  they  might  have  done. 

For  the  nonce,  Bembo  was  captain ;  and,  so  far  as  mere 
seamanship  was  concerned,  he  was  as  competent  to  com- 
mand as  any  one.  In  truth,  a  better  seaman  never 
swore.  This  accomplishment,  by  the  by,  together  with  a 
surprising  familiarity  with  most  nautical  names  and 
phrases,  comprised  about  all  the  English  he  knew. 


78  omoo. 

Being  a  harpooner,  and,  as  such,  having  access  to  the 
cabin,  this  man,  though  not  yet  civilised,  was,  according 
to  sea  usages,  which  know  no  exceptions,  held  superior 
to  the  sailors ;  and  therefore,  nothing  was  said  against 
his  being  left  in  charge  of  the  ship ;  nor  did  it  occasion 
any  surprise. 

Some  additional  account  must  be  given  of  Bembo. 
In  the  first  place,  he  was  far  from  being  liked.  A  dark, 
moody  savage,  everybody  but  the  mate  more  or  less  dis- 
trusted or  feared  him.  Nor  were  these  feelings  unre- 
ciprocated. Unless  duty  called,  he  seldom  went  among 
the  crew.  Hard  stories,  too,  were  told  about  him  ;  some- 
thing, in  particular,  concerning  an  hereditary  propensity 
to  kill  men  and  eat  them.  True,  he  came  from  a  race 
of  cannibals;  but  that  was  all  that  was  known  to  a 
certainty. 

Whatever  unpleasant  ideas  were  connected  with  the 
Mowree,  his  personal  appearance  no  way  lessened  them. 
Unlike  most  of  his  countrymen,  he  was,  if  anything, 
below  the  ordinary  height ;  but  then,  he  was  all  com- 
pact, and  under  his  swart,  tattooed  skin,  the  muscles 
worked  like^sleel  rods.  Hair,  crisp,  and  coal-black, 
curled  over  shaggyTBrows,  Wnd  ambushed  small,  intense 
eyes,  always  on  the  glare]  In  short,  he  was  none  of 
your  iffeminate  barbarians 

Previous  to  this,  he  hajzl  been  two  or  three  voyages  in 
Sydneyywhalemen ;  always,  however,  as  in  the  present 
instanceQshipping^at^the  Bay  of  Islands,  and  receiving 
his  discharge  there  on  the  homeward-bound  passage. 
In  this  way,  his  countrymen  frequently  entered  on 
board  the  colonial  whaling  vessels. 

There  was  a  man  among  us  who  had  sailed  with  the 
Mowree  on  his  first  voyage,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had 
not  changed  a  particle  since  then. 


A  SURPRISE.— MORE  ABOUT  BEMBO.  79 

Some  queer  things  this  fellow  told  me.  The  follow- 
ing is  one  of  his  stories.  I  give  it  for  what  it  is  worth ; 
premising,  however,  that  from  what  I  know  of  Bembo, 
and  the  foolhardy,  dare-devil  feats  sometimes  performed 
in  the  sperm-whale  fishery,  I  believe  in  its  substantial 
truth. 

As  may  be  believed,  Bembo  was  a  wild  one  after  a 
fish ;  indeed,  all  New  Zealanders  engaged  in  this  busi- 
ness are ;  it  seems  to  harmonize  sweetly  with  their 
blood-thirsty  propensities.  At  sea,  the  best  English 
they  speak,  is  the  South  Seaman's  slogan  in  lowering 
away,  "  A  dead  whale,  or  a  stove  boat !  "  Game  to  the 
marrow,  these  fellows  are  generally  selected  for  har- 
pooners ;  a  post  in  which  a  nervous  timid  man  would 
be  rather  out  of  his  element. 

In  darting,  the  harpooner,  of  course,  stands  erect  in 
the  head  of  the  boat,  one  knee  braced  against  a  support. 
But  Bembo  disdained  this ;  and  was  always  pulled  up 
to  his  fish,  balancing  himself  right  on  the  gunwale. 

But  to  my  story.  One  morning,  at  daybreak,  they 
brought  him  up  to  a  large  lone  whale.  He  darted  his 
harpoon,  and  missed  ;  and  the  fish  sounded.  After  a 
while,  the  monster  rose  again,  about  a  mile  off,  and  they 
made  after  him.  But  he  was  frightened,  or  "  gallied," 
as  they  call  it ;  and  noon  came,  and  the  boat  was  still 
chasing  him.  In  whaling,  as  long  as  the  fish  is  in  sight, 
and  no  matter  what  may  have  been  previously  under- 
gone, there  is  no  giving  up,  except  when  night  comes  ; 
and  nowadays,  when  whales  are  so  hard  to  be  got,  fre- 
quently, not  even  then.  At  last,  Bembo's  whale  was 
alongside  for  the  second  time.  He  darted  both  har- 
poons ;  but,  as  sometimes  happens  to  the  best  men,  by 
some  unaccountable  chance,  once  more  missed.  Though 
it  is  well  known  that  such  failures  will  happen  at  times, 


80  OMOO. 

they  nevertheless  occasion  the  bitterest  disappointment 
to  a  boat's  crew,  generally  expressed  in  curses,  both  loud 
and  deep.  And  no  wonder.  Let  any  man  pull  with 
might  and  main  for  hours  and  hours  together,  under  a 
burning  sun  ;  and  if  it  do  not  make  him  a  little  peevish, 
he  is  no  sailor. 

The  taunts  of  the  seamen  may  have  maddened  the 
Mowree  ;  however  it  was,  no  sooner  was  he  brought  up 
again,  than,  harpoon  in  hand,  he  bounded  upon  the 
whale's  back,  and  for  one  dizzy  second  was  seen  there. 
The  next,  all  was  foam  and  fury,  and  both  were  out  of 
sight.  The  men  sheered  off,  flinging  overboard  the  line 
as  fast  as  they  could ;  while  a-head,  nothing  was  seen 
but  a  red  whirlpool  of  blood  and  brine. 

Presently,  a  dark  object  swam  out ;  the  line  began  to 
straighten  ;  then  smoked  round  the  loggerhead,  and, 
quick  as  thought,  the  boat  sped  like  an  arrow  through 
the  water.  They  were  "  fast, "  and  the  whale  was 
running. 

Where  was  the  Mowree?  His  brown  hand  was  on 
the  boat's  gunwale  ;  and  he  was  hauled  aboard  in  the 
very  midst  of  the  mad  bubbles  that  burst  under  the 
bows. 

Such  a  man,  or  devil,  if  you  will,  was  Bembo. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE  ROUND  ROBIN.  —  VISITORS  FROM  SHORE. 

After  the  captain  left,  the  land-breeze  died  away; 
and,  as  is  usual  about  these  islands,  towards  noon  it  fell 
a  dead  calm.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  haul  up  the 
courses,  run  down  the  jib,  and  lie  and  roll  up  the  swells. 


THE  ROUND  ROBIN.  — VISITORS  FROM  SHORE.       81 

The  repose  of  the  elements  seemed  to  communicate  itself 
to  the  men ;  and,  for  a  time,  there  was  a  lull. 

Early  in  the  afternoon,  the  mate,  having  left  the 
captain  at  Papeetee,  returned  to  the  ship.  According 
to  the  steward,  they  were  to  go  ashore  again  right  after 
dinner  with  the  remainder  of  Guy's  effects. 

On  gaining  the  deck,  Jermin  purposely  avoided  us, 
and  went  below  without  saying  a  word.  Meanwhile, 
Long  Ghost  and  I  laboured  hard  to  diffuse  the  right 
spirit  among  the  crew  ;  impressing  upon  them  that  a 
little  patience  and  management  would,  in  the  end, 
accomplish  all  that  their  violence  could ;  and  that,  too, 
without  making  a  serious  matter  of  it. 

For  my  own  part,  I  felt  that  I  was  under  a  foreign 
flag ;  that  an  English  consul  was  close  at  hand,  and  that 
sailors  seldom  obtain  justice.  It  was  best  to  be  prudent. 
Still,  so  much  did  I  sympathise  with  the  men,  —  so  far, 
at  least,  as  their  real  grievances  were  concerned, — and 
so  convinced  was  I  of  the  cruelty  and  injustice  of  what 
Captain  Guy  seemed  bent  upon,  that,  if  need  were,  I 
stood  ready  to  raise  a  hand. 

In  spite  of  all  we  could  do,  some  of  them  again  became 
most  refractory,  breathing  nothing  but  downright  mutiny. 
When  we  went  below  to  dinner,  these  fellows  stirred  up 
such  a  prodigious  tumult  that  the  old  hull  fairly  echoed. 
Many,  and  fierce  too,  were  the  speeches  delivered,  and 
uproarious  the  comments  of  the  sailors.  Among  others, 
Long  Jim,  or  —  as  the  doctor  afterwards  called  him  — 
Lacedaemonian  Jim,  rose  in  his  place,  and  addressed  the 
forecastle  parliament  in  the  following  strain :  — 

"  Look  ye,  Britons  !  if,  after  what's  happened,  this 
here  craft  goes  to  sea  with  us,  we  are  no  men  ;  and  that's 
the  way  to  say  it.  Speak  the  word,  my  livelies,  and  I'll 
pilot  her  in.     I've  been  to  Tahiti  before,  and  I  can  do  it." 


82  omoo. 

Whereupon,  he  sat  down  amid  a  universal  pounding  of 
chest-lids,  and  cymballing  of  tin  pans  ;  the  few  invalids, 
who,  as  yet,  had  not  been  actively  engaged  with  the 
rest,  now  taking  part  in  the  applause,  creaking  their 
bunk-boards  and  swinging  their  hammocks.  Cries  were 
also  heard,  of  "  Handspikes  and  a  shindy !  "  "  Out  stun- 
sails  !  "     "  Hurrah  !  " 

Several  now  ran  on  deck,  and,  for  the  moment,  I 
thought  it  was  all  over  with  us  ;  but  we  finally  succeeded 
ki  restoring  some  degree  of  quiet. 

At  last,  by  way  of  diverting  their  thoughts,  I  proposed 
that  a  "  round  robin  "  should  be  prepared  and  sent  ashore 
to  the  consul,  by  Baltimore,  the  cook.  The  idea  took 
mightily,  and  I  was  told  to  set  about  it  at  once.  On 
turning  to  the  doctor  for  the  requisite  materials,  he  told 
me  he  had  none ;  there  was  not  a  fly-leaf,  even,  in  any 
of  his  books.  So,  after  great  search,  a  damp,  musty 
volume,  entitled  "  A  History  of  the  most  Atrocious  and 
Bloody  Piracies,"  was  produced,  and  its  two  remaining 
blank  leaves  being  torn  out,  were,  by  help  of  a  little 
pitch,  lengthened  into  one  sheet.  For  ink,  some  of  the 
soot  over  the  lamp  was  then  mixed  with  water,  by  a 
fellow  of  a  literary  turn  ;  and  an  immense  quill,  plucked 
from  a  distended  albatross's  wing,  which,  nailed  against 
the  bowsprit  bitts,  had  long  formed  an  ornament  of  the 
forecastle,  supplied  a  pen. 

Making  use  of  the  stationery  thus  provided,  I  indited, 
upon  a  chest-lid,  a  concise  statement  of  our  grievances ; 
concluding  with  the  earnest  hope,  that  the  consul  would 
at  once  come  off,  and  see  how  matters  stood,  for  himself. 
Right  beneath  the  note  was  described  the  circle  about 
which  the  names  were  to  be  written  ;  the  great  object 
of  a  round  robin  being  to  arrange  the  signatures 
in  such  a  way,  that,  although  the}'  are  all  found  in  a 
ring,  no  man  can  be  picked  out  as  the  leader  of  it. 


THE  ROUND  ROBIN.  — VISITORS  FROM  SHORE.       83 

Few  among  them  had  any  regular  names ;  many 
answering  to  some  familiar  title,  expressive  of  a  personal 
trait;  or,  oftener  still,  to  the  name  of  the  place  from 
which  they  hailed  ;  and  in  one  or  two  cases  were  known 
by  a  handy  syllable  or  two,  significant  of  nothing  in 
particular  but  the  men  who  bore  them.  Some,  to  be 
sure,  had,  for  the  sake  of  formality,  shipped  under  a 
feigned  cognomen,  or  "  purser's  name  ;  "  these,  however, 
were  almost  forgotten  by  themselves;  and  so,  to  give 
the  document  an  air  of  genuineness,  it  was  decided  that 
every  man's  name  should  be  put  down  as  it  went  among 
the  crew.  The  annexed,  therefore,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
recall  it,  is  something  like  a  correct  representation  of 
the  signatures.  It  is  due  to  the  doctor,  to  say,  that  the 
circumscribed  device  was  his. 

Folded,  and  sealed  with  a  drop  of  tar,  the  round 
robin  was  directed  to  "  The  English  Consul,  Tahiti ; " 
and,  handed  to  the  cook,  was  by  him  delivered  into 
that  gentleman's  hands  as  soon  as  the  mate  went 
ashore. 

On  the  return  of  the  boat,  some  time  after  dark,  we 
learned  a  good  deal  from  old  Baltimore,  who,  having 
been  allowed  to  run  about  as  much  as  he  pleased,  had 
spent  his  time  gossipping. 

Owing  to  the  proceedings  of  the  French,  everything 
in  Tahiti  was  in  an  uproar.  Pritchard,  the  missionary 
consul,  was  absent  in  England ;  but  his  place  was  tem- 
porarily filled  by  one  Wilson,  an  educated  white  man, 
born  on  the  island,  and  the  son  of  an  old  missionary  of 
that  name,  still  living. 

With  natives  and  foreigners  alike,  Wilson  the  younger 
was  exceedingly  unpopular,  being  held  an  unprincipled 
and  dissipated  man,  a  character  verified  by  his  subsequent 
conduct.     Pritchard's  selecting  a  man  like  this  to  attend 


84  omoo. 

to  the  duties  of  his  office,  had  occasioned  general  dis- 
satisfaction ashore. 

Though  never  in  Europe  or  America,  the  acting 
consul  had  been  several  voyages  to  Sydney  in  a  schooner 
belonging  to  the  mission  ;  and  therefore  our  surprise 
was  lessened,  when  Baltimore  told  us,  that  he  and 
Captain  Guy  were  as  sociable  as  could  be  —  old  acquaint- 
ances, in  fact;  and  that  the  latter  had  taken  up  his 
quarters  at  Wilson's  house.     For  us,  this  boded  ill. 

The  mate  was  now  assailed  by  a  hundred  questions  as 
to  what  was  going  to  be  done  with  us.  His  only  reply 
was,  that  in  the  morning  the  consul  would  pay  us  a 
visit,  and  settle  everything. 

After  holding  our  ground  off  the  harbour  during  the 
night,  in  the  morning  a  shore  boat,  manned  by  natives, 
was  seen  coming  off.  In  it  were  Wilson  and  another 
white  man,  who  proved  to  be  a  Doctor  Johnson,  an 
Englishman,  and  a  resident  physician  of  Papeetee. 

Stopping  our  headway  as  they  approached,  Jermin 
advanced  to  the  gangway  to  receive  them.  No  sooner 
did  the  consul  touch  the  deck,  than  he  gave  us  a  specimen 
of  what  he  was. 

"  Mr.  Jermin,"  he  cried  loftily,  and  not  deigning  to 
notice  the  respectful  salutation  of  the  person  addressed, 
"  Mr.  Jermin,  tack  ship,  and  stand  off  from  the  land." 

Upon  this,  the  men  looked  hard  at  him,  anxious  to 
see  what  sort  of  a  looking  "cove"  he  was.  Upon  in- 
spection, he  turned  out  to  be  an  exceedingly  minute 
"  cove,"  with  a  viciously  pugged  nose,  and  a  decidedly 
thin  pair  of  legs.  There  was  nothing  else  noticeable 
about  him.  Jermin,  with  ill-assumed  suavity,  at  once 
obeyed  the  order,  and  the  ship's  head  soon  pointed  out 
to  sea. 

Now,   contempt   is   as  frequently  produced  at   first 


THE  ROUND  ROBIN.  —  VISITORS  FROM  SHORE.       85 

sight  as  love ;  and  thus  was  it  with  respect  to  Wilson. 
No  one  could  look  at  him  without  conceiving  a  strong 
dislike,  or  a  cordial  desire  to  entertain  such  a  feeling 
the  first  favourable  opportunity.  There  was  such  an 
intolerable  air  of  conceit  about  this  man,  that  it  was 
almost  as  much  as  one  could  do  to  refrain  from  running 
up  and  affronting  him. 

"So  the  counsellor  is  come,"  exclaimed  Navy  Bob, 
who,  like  all  the  rest,  invariably  styled  him  thus,  much 
to  mine  and  the  doctor's  diversion.  "  Ay,"  said  another, 
"and  for  no  good,  I'll  be  bound." 

Such  were  some  of  the  observations  made,  as  Wilson 
and  the  mate  went  below  conversing. 

But  no  one  exceeded  the  cooper  in  the  violence  with 
which  he  inveighed  against  the  ship  and  everything 
connected  with  her.  Swearing  like  a  trooper,  he  called 
the  mainmast  to  witness,  that  if  he  (Bungs)  ever  again 
went  oat  of  sight  of  land  in  the  Julia,  he  prayed  Heaven 
that  a  fate  might  be  his  —  altogether  too  remarkable  to 
be  here  related. 

Much  had  he  to  say  also  concerning  the  vileness  of 
what  we  had  to  eat  —  not  fit  for  a  dog  ;  besides  enlar- 
ging upon  the  imprudence  of  intrusting  the  vessel  longer 
to  a  man  of  the  mate's  intemperate  habits.  With  so 
many  sick,  too,  what  could  we  expect  to  do  in  the 
fishery?  It  was  no  use  talking;  come  what  come 
might,  the  ship  must  let  go  her  anchor. 

Now,  as  Bungs,  besides  being  an  able  seaman,  a 
"  Cod "  in  the  forecastle,  and  about  the  oldest  man  in 
it,  was,  moreover,  thus  deeply  imbued  with  feelings  so 
warmly  responded  to  by  the  rest,  he  was  all  at  once 
selected  to  officiate  as  spokesman,  so  soon  as  the  consul 
should  see  fit  to  address  us.  The  selection  was  made 
contrary  to  mine  and  the  doctor's  advice ;  however,  all 


86  omoo. 

assured  us  they  would  keep  quiet,  and  hear  everything 
Wilson  had  to  say,  before  doing  anything  decisive. 

We  were  not  kept  long  in  suspense ;  for  very  soon 
he  was  seen  standing  in  the  cabin  gangway,  with  the 
tarnished  tin  case  containing  the  ship's  papers ;  and 
Jermin  at  once  sung  out  for  the  ship's  company  to 
muster  on  the  quarter-deck. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  CONSUL.  87 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE  CONSUL. 

The  order  was  instantly  obeyed,  and  the  sailors 
ranged  themselves,  facing  the  consul. 

They  were  a  wild  company ;  men  of  many  climes  — 
not  at  all  precise  in  their  toilet  arrangements,  but 
picturesque  in  their  very  tatters.  My  friend,  the  Long 
Doctor,  was  there  too  ;  and  with  a  view,  perhaps,  of 
enlisting  the  sympathies  of  the  consul  for  a  gentleman 
in  distress,  had  taken  more  than  ordinary  pains  with  his 
appearance.  But  among  the  sailors,  he  looked  like  a 
land-crane  blown  off  to  sea,  and  consorting  with  petrels. 

The  forlorn  Rope  Yarn,  however,  was  by  far  the  most 
remarkable  figure.  Land-lubber  that  he  was,  his  outfit 
of  sea-clothing  had  long  since  been  confiscated  ;  and  he 
was  now  fain  to  go  about  in  whatever  he  could  pick  up. 
His  upper  garment  —  an  unsailor-like  article  of  dress 
which  he  persisted  in  wearing,  though  torn  from  his 
back  twenty  times  in  the  day  —  was  an  old  "  claw-ham- 
mer-jacket," or  swallow-tail  coat,  formerly  belonging  to 
Captain  Guy,  and  which  had  formed  one  of  his  per- 
quisites when  steward. 

By  the  side  of  Wilson  was  the  mate,  bareheaded,  his 
grey  locks  lying  in  rings  upon  his  bronzed  brow,  and 
his  keen  eye  scanning  the  crowd  as  if  he  knew  their 
every  thought.  His  frock  hung  loosely,  exposing  his 
round  throat,  mossy  chest,  and  short  and  nervous  arm 
embossed  with  pugilistic  bruises,  and  quaint  with  many 
a  device  in  India  ink. 

In  the  midst  of  a  portentous  silence,  the  consul  un- 


88  omoo. 

rolled  his  papers,  evidently  intending  to  produce  an 
effect  by  the  exceeding  bigness  of  his  looks. 

"  Mr.  Jermin,  call  off  their  names  ; "  and  he  handed 
him  a  list  of  the  ship's  company. 

All  answered  but  the  deserters  and  the  two  mariners 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 

It  was  now  supposed  that  the  round  robin  would  be 
produced,  and  something  said  about  it.  But  not  so. 
Among  the  consul's  papers,  that  unique  document  was 
thought  to  be  perceived ;  but,  if  there,  it  was  too  much 
despised  to  be  made  a  subject  of  comment.  Some 
present,  very  justly  regarding  it  as  an  uncommon  liter- 
ary production,  had  been  anticipating  all  sorts  of 
miracles  therefrom ;  and  were,  therefore,  much  touched 
at  this  neglect. 

"  Well,  men,"  began  Wilson  again  after  a  short  pause, 
"  although  you  all  look  hearty  enough,  I'm  told  there 
are  some  sick  among  you,  Now  then,  Mr.  Jermin,  call 
off  the  names  on  that  sick-list  of  yours,  and  let  them  go 
over  to  the  other  side  of  the  deck  —  I  should  like  to  see 
who  they  are." 

"So,  then,"  said  he,  after  we  had  all  passed  over, 
"you  are  the  sick  fellows,  are  you  ?  Very  good :  I  shall 
have  you  seen  to.  You  will  go  down  into  the  cabin,  one 
by  one,  to  Doctor  Johnson,  who  will  report  your  respec- 
tive cases  to  me.  Such  as  he  pronounces  in  a  dying 
state  I  shall  have  sent  ashore ;  the  rest  will  be  provided 
with  everything  needful,  and  remain  aboard." 

At  this  announcement,  we  gazed  strangely  at  each 
other,  anxious  to  see  who  it  was  that  looked  like  dying, 
and  pretty  nearly  deciding  to  stay  aboard  and  get  well, 
rather  than  go  ashore  and  be  buried.  There  were  some, 
nevertheless,  who  saw  very  plainly  what  Wilson  was  at, 
and  they  acted  accordingly.     For  my  own  part,  I  re- 


PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE  CONSUL.  89 

solved  to  assume  as  dying  an  expression  as  possible ; 
hoping,  that  on  the  strength  of  it,  I  might  be  sent 
ashore,  and  so  get  rid  of  the  ship  without  any  further 
trouble. 

With  this  intention,  I  determined  to  take  no  part  in 
anything  that  might  happen,  until  my  case  was  decided 
upon.  As  for  the  doctor,  he  had  all  along  pretended 
to  be  more  or  less  unwell ;  and  by  a  significant  look 
now  given  me,  it  was  plain  that  he  was  becoming  deci- 
dedly worse. 

The  invalids  disposed  of  for  the  present,  and  one 
of  them  having  gone  below  to  be  examined,  the  con- 
sul turned  round  to  the  rest,  and  addressed  them  as 
follows :  — 

"  Men,  I'm  going  to  ask  you  two  or  three  questions  — 
let  one  of  you  answer  yes  or  no,  and  the  rest  keep 
silent.  Now  then :  Have  you  anything  to  say  against 
your  mate,  Mr.  Jermin?"  And  he  looked  sharply 
among  the  sailors,  and,  at  last,  right  into  the  eye  of  the 
cooper,  whom  everybody  was  eying. 

"  Well,  sir,"  faltered  Bungs,  "  we  can't  say  anything 
against  Mr.  Jermin's  seamanship,  but  —  " 

"I  want  no  huts"  cried  the  consul,  breaking  in: 
u  answer  me  yes  or  no  —  have  you  anything  to  say 
against  Mr.  Jermin  ?  " 

"  I  was  going  on  to  say,  sir,  Mr.  Jermin's  a  very  good 
man  ;  but  then  —  "  Here  the  mate  looked  marlingspikes 
at  Bungs  ;  and  Bungs,  after  stammering  out  something, 
looked  straight  down  to  a  seam  in  the  deck,  and  stopped 
short. 

A  rather  assuming  fellow  heretofore,  the  cooper  had 
sported  many  feathers  in  his  cap ;  he  was  now  showing 
the  white  one. 

"  So  much,  then,  for  that  part  of  the  business,"  ex- 


90  OMOO. 

claimed  Wilson,  smartly ;  "  you  have  nothing  to  say 
against  him,  I  see." 

Upon  this  several  seemed  to  be  on  the  point  of  saying 
a  good  deal ;  but,  disconcerted  by  the  cooper's  conduct, 
checked  themselves,  and  the  consul  proceeded. 

"  Have  you  enough  to  eat,  aboard  ?  answer  me,  you 
man  who  spoke  before." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  as  to  that,"  said  the  cooper, 
looking  excessively  uneasy,  and  trying  to  edge  back, 
but  pushed  forward  again.  "  Some  of  that  salt  horse 
ain't  as  sweet  as  it  might  be." 

"  That's  not  what  I  asked  you,"  shouted  the  consul, 
growing  brave  quite  fast :  "  answer  my  questions  as  I 
put  them,  or  I'll  find  a  way  to  make  you." 

This  was  going  a  little  too  far.  The  ferment  into 
which  the  cooper's  poltroonery  had  thrown  the  sailors 
now  brooked  no  restraint ;  and  one  of  them  —  a  young 
American  who  went  by  the  name  of  Salem  *  —  dashed 
out  from  among  the  rest,  and  fetching  the  cooper  a 
blow  that  sent  him  humming  over  toward  the  consul, 
flourished  a  naked  sheath-knife  in  the  air,  and  burst 
forth  with  "  I'm  the  little  fellow  that  can  answer  your 
questions ;  just  put  them  to  me  once,  counsellor." 

But  the  "  counsellor  "  had  no  more  questions  to  ask 
just  then;  for  at  the  alarming  apparition  of  Salem's 
knife,  and  the  extraordinary  effect  produced  upon 
Bungs,  he  had  popped  his  head  down  the  companion- 
way,  and  was  holding  it  there. 

Upon  the  mate's  assuring  him,  however,  that  it  was 
all  over,  he  looked  up,  quite  flustered,  if  not  frightened, 
but  evidently  determined  to  put  as  fierce  a  face  on  the 
matter  as  practicable.     Speaking  sharply,  he  warned  all 

*  So  called  from  the  place  he  hailed  from;  a  well-known  seaport  on 
the  coast  of  Massachusetts. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  CONSUL.  91 

present  to  "  look  out ;  "  and  then  repeated  the  question, 
whether  there  was  enough  to  eat  aboard.  Every  one 
now  turned  spokesman ;  and  he  was  assailed  by  a  per- 
fect hurricane  of  yells,  in  which  the  oaths  fell  like  hail- 
stones. 

"  How's  this  !  what  d'ye  mean  ?  "  he  cried,  upon  the 
first  lull ;  "  who  told  you  all  to  speak  at  once  ?  Here, 
you  man  with  the  knife,  you'll  be  putting  some  one's 
eyes  out  yet ;  d'ye  hear,  you  sir  ?  You  seem  to  have  a 
good  deal  to  say,  who  are  you,  pray  ?  where  did  you 
ship  ?  " 

" I'm  nothing  more  nor  a  bloody  beach-comber"  2  re- 
torted Salem,  stepping  forward  piratically  and  eying 
him ;  "  and  if  you  want  to  know,  I  shipped  at  the 
Islands  about  four  months  ago." 

"  Only  four  months  ago  ?  And  here  you  have  more 
to  say  than  men  who  have  been  aboard  the  whole  voy- 
age ;  "  and  the  consul  made  a  dash  at  looking  furious, 
but  failed.  "Let  me  hear  no  more  from  you,  sir. 
Where's  that  respectable,  grey-headed  man,  the  cooper? 
he's  the  one  to  answer  my  questions." 

"  There's  no  'spectable,  grey-headed  men  aboard," 
returned  Salem ;  "  we're  all  a  parcel  of  mutineers  and 
pirates ! " 

All  this  time,  the  mate  was  holding  his  peace ;  and 
Wilson,  now  completely  abashed,  and  at  a  loss  what  to 
do,  took  him  by  the  arm,  and  walked  across  the  deck. 


1  This  is  a  term  much  in  vogue  among  sailors  in  the  Pacific.  It  is 
applied  to  certain  roving  characters,  who,  without  attaching  themselves 
permanently  to  any  vessel,  ship  now  and  then  for  a  short  cruise  in  a 
whaler  ;  but  upon  the  condition  only  of  being  honourably  discharged  the 
very  next  time  the  anchor  takes  hold  of  the  bottom ;  no  matter  where. 
They  are,  mostly,  a  reckless,  rollicking  set,  wedded  to  the  Pacific,  and 
never  dreaming  of  ever  doubling  Cape  Horn  again  on  a  homeward- 
bound  passage.    Hence  their  reputation  is  a  bad  one. 


92  omoo. 

Returning  to  the  cabin-scuttle,  after  a  close  conversa- 
tion, he  abruptly  addressed  the  sailors,  without  taking 
any  further  notice  of  what  had  just  happened. 

"  For  reasons  you  all  know,  men,  this  ship  has  been 
placed  in  my  hands.  As  Captain  Guy  will  remain  ashore 
for  the  present,  your  mate,  Mr.  Jermin,  will  command 
until  his  recovery.  According  to  my  judgment,  there  is 
no  reason  why  the  voyage  should  not  be  at  once  resumed  ; 
especially  as  I  shall  see  that  you  have  two  more  har- 
pooners,  and  enough  good  men  to  man  three  boats.  As 
for  the  sick,  neither  you  nor  I  have  anything  to  do  with 
them ;  they  will  be  attended  to  by  Doctor  Johnson ;  but 
I've  explained  that  matter  before.  As  soon  as  things 
can  be  arranged  —  in  a  day  or  too,  at  farthest  —  you 
will  go  to  sea  for  a  three  months'  cruise,  touching  here, 
at  the  end  of  it,  for  your  captain.  Let  me  hear  a  good 
report  of  you,  now,  when  you  come  back.  At  present, 
you  will  continue  lying  off  and  on  the  harbour.  I  will 
send  you  fresh  provisions  as  soon  as  I  can  get  them. 
There  :  I've  nothing  more  to  say ;  go  forward  to  your 
stations." 

And,  without  another  word,  he  wheeled  round  to  de- 
scend into  the  cabin.  But  hardly  had  he  concluded, 
before  the  incensed  men  were  dancing  about  him  on 
every  side,  and  calling  upon  him  to  lend  an  ear.  Each 
one  for  himself  denied  the  legality  of  what  he  proposed 
to  do  ;  insisted  upon  the  necessity  for  taking  the  ship 
in  :  and  finally  gave  him  to  understand,  roughly  and 
roundly,  that  go  to  sea  in  her  they  would  not. 

In  the  midst  of  this  mutinous  uproar,  the  alarmed 
consul  stood  fast  by  the  scuttle.  His  tactics  had  been 
decided  upon  beforehand ;  indeed,  they  must  have  been 
concerted  ashore,  between  him  and  the  captain  ;  for  all 
he  said,  as  he  now  hurried  below,  was,  "  Go  forward, 


THE  CONSUL'S  DEPARTURE.  93 

men ;  I'm  through  with  you :  you  should  have  men- 
tioned these  matters  before :  my  arrangements  are  con- 
cluded :  go  forward,  I  say ;  I've  nothing  more  to  say  to 
you."  And,  drawing  over  the  slide  of  the  scuttle,  he 
disappeared. 

Upon  the  very  point  of  following  him  down,  the 
attention  of  the  exasperated  seamen  was  called  off  to  a 
party  who  had  just  then  taken  the  recreant  Bungs  in 
hand.  Amid  a  shower  of  kicks  and  cuffs,  the  traitor  was 
borne  along  to  the  forecastle,  where  —  I  forbear  to  relate 
what  followed. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

THE  CONSUL'S  DEPARTURE. 

During  the  scenes  just  described,  Doctor  Johnson 
was  engaged  in  examining  the  sick  ;  of  whom,  as  it  turned 
out,  all  but  two  were  to  remain  in  the  ship.  He  had 
evidently  received  his  cue  from  Wilson. 

One  of  the  last  called  below  into  the  cabin,  just  as 
the  quarter-deck  gathering  dispersed,  I  came  on  deck 
quite  incensed.  My  lameness,  which,  to  tell  the  truth, 
was  now  much  better,  was  put  down  as,  in  a  great  meas- 
ure, affected ;  and  my  name  was  on  the  list  of  those 
who  would  be  fit  for  any  duty  in  a  day  or  two.  This 
was  enough.  As  for  Doctor  Long  Ghost,  the  shore 
physician,  instead  of  extending  to  him  any  professional 
sympathy,  had  treated  him  very  cavalierly.  To  a  cer- 
tain extent,  therefore,  we  were  now  both  bent  on  making 
common  cause  with  the  sailors. 

I  must  explain  myself  here.  All  we  wanted  was,  to 
have  the  ship  snugly  anchored  in  Papeetee  Bay ;  enter- 


94  omoo. 

taining  no  doubt  that,  could  this  be  done,  it  would  in 
some  way  or  other  peaceably  lead  to  our  emancipation. 
Without  a  downright  mutiny,  there  was  but  one  way  to 
accomplish  this  :  to  induce  the  men  to  refuse  all  further 
duty,  unless  it  were  to  work  the  vessel  in.  The  only 
difficulty  lay  in  restraining  them  within  proper  bounds. 
Nor  was  it  without  certain  misgivings,  that  I  found  my- 
self so  situated,  that  I  must  necessarily  link  myself, 
however  guardedly,  with  such  a  desperate  company  ; 
and  in  an  enterprise,  too,  of  which  it  was  hard  to  con- 
jecture what  might  be  the  result.  But  anything  like 
neutrality  was  out  of  the  question ;  and  unconditional 
submission  was  equally  so. 

On  going  forward,  we  found  them  ten  times  more 
tumultuous  than  ever.  After  again  restoring  some  de- 
gree of  tranquillity,  we  once  more  urged  our  plan  of 
quietly  refusing  duty,  and  awaiting  the  result.  At  first, 
few  would  hear  of  it ;  but  in  the  end,  a  good  number 
were  convinced  by  our  representations.  Others  held 
out.  Nor  were  those  who  thought  with  us,  in  all 
things  to  be   controlled. 

Upon  Wilson's  coming  on  deck  to  enter  his  boat,  he 
was  beset  on  all  sides  ;  and,  for  a  moment,  I  thought 
the  ship  would  be  seized  before  his  very  eyes. 

"  Nothing  more  to  say  to  you,  men ;  my  arrange- 
ments are  made.  Go  forward,  where  you  belong.  I'll 
take  no  insolence ; "  and,  in  a  tremor,  Wilson  hur- 
ried over  the  side  in  the  midst  of  a  volley  of  execra- 
tions. 

Shortly  after  his  departure,  the  mate  ordered  the  cook 
and  steward  into  his  boat ;  and  saying  that  he  was  going 
to  see  how  the  captain  did,  left  us,  as  before,  under  the 
charge  of  Bembo. 

At  this  time  we  were  lying  becalmed,  pretty  close  in 


THE  CONSUL'S  DEPARTURE.  95 

with  the  land  (having  gone  about  again),  our  main-top- 
sail flapping  against  the  mast  with  every  roll. 

The  departure  of  the  consul  and  Jermin  was  followed 
by  a  scene  absolutely  indescribable.  The  sailors  ran 
about  deck  like  madmen  ;  Bembo,  all  the  while,  leaning 
against  the  taffrail  by  himself,  smoking  his  heathenish 
stone  pipe,  and  never  interfering. 

The  cooper,  who  that  morning  had  got  himself  into  a 
fluid  of  an  exceedingly  high  temperature,  now  did  his 
best  to  regain  the  favour  of  the  crew.  "  Without  dis- 
tinction of  party,  "  he  called  upon  all  hands  to  step  up, 
and  partake  of  the  contents  of  his  bucket. 

But  it  was  quite  plain  that,  before  offering  to  intoxi- 
cate others,  he  had  taken  the  wise  precaution  of  getting 
well  tipsy  himself.  He  was  now  once  more  happy  in 
the  affection  of  his  shipmates,  who,  one  and  all,  pro- 
nounced him  sound  to  the  kelson. 

The  Pisco  soon  told  ;  and,  with  great  difficulty,  we 
restrained  a  party  in  the  very  act  of  breaking  into  the 
after-hold  in  pursuit  of  more. 

All  manner  of  pranks  were  now  played. 

"  Mast-head,  there  !  what  d'ye  see  ?  "  bawled  Beauty, 
hailing  the  main-truck  through  an  enormous  copper 
tunnel.  "  Stand  by  the  stays,"  roared  Flash  Jack, 
hauling  off  with  the  cook's  axe,  at  the  fastenings  of 
the  main-stay.  "  Looky  out  for  squalls  !  "  shrieked  the 
Portuguese,  Antone,  darting  a  hand-spike  through  the 
cabin  sky-light.  And,  "Heave  round  cheerily,  men," 
sung  out  Navy  Bob,  dancing  a  hornpipe  on  the  fore- 
castle. 


96  omoo. 

CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE  SECOND  NIGHT   OFF  PAPEETEE. 

Toward  sunset,  the  mate  came  off,  singing  merrily, 
in  the  stern  of  his  boat ;  and  in  attempting  to  climb  up 
the  side,  succeeded  in  going  plump  into  the  water.  He 
was  rescued  by  the  steward,  and  carried  across  the  deck 
with  many  moving  expressions  of  love  for  his  bearer. 
Tumbled  into  the  quarter-boat,  he  soon  fell  asleep,  and 
waking  about  midnight,  somewhat  sobered,  went  for- 
ward among  the  men.  Here,  to  prepare  for  what  fol- 
lows, we  must  leave  him  for  a  moment. 

It  was  now  plain  enough  that  Jermin  was  by  no 
means  unwilling  to  take  the  Julia  to  sea ;  indeed,  there 
was  nothing  he  so  much  desired ;  though  what  his  reasons 
were,  seeing  our  situation,  we  could  only  conjecture. 
Nevertheless,  so  it  was ;  and  having  counted  much 
upon  his  rough  popularity  with  the  men  to  recon- 
cile them  to  a  short  cruise  under  him,  he  had  conse- 
quently been  disappointed  in  their  behaviour.  Still, 
thinking  that  they  would  take  a  different  view  of  the 
matter,  when  they  came  to  know  what  fine  times  he 
had  in  store  for  them,  he  resolved  upon  trying  a  little 
persuasion. 

So  on  going  forward,  he  put  his  head  down  the  fore- 
castle scuttle,  and  hailed  us  all  quite  cordially,  inviting 
us  down  into  the  cabin ;  where,  he  said,  he  had  some- 
thing to  make  merry  withal.  Nothing  loath,  we  went ; 
and  throwing  ourselves  along  the  transom,  waited  for 
the  steward  to  serve  us. 

As  the  can  circulated,  Jermin,  leaning  on  the  table 


THE  SECOND  NIGHT  OFF  PAPEETEE.  97 

and  occupying  the  captain's  arm-chair  secured  to  the 
deck,  opened  his  mind  as  bluntly  and  freely  as  ever. 
He  was  by  no  means  yet  sober. 

He  told  us  we  were  acting  very  foolishly  ;  that  if  we 
only  stuck  to  the  ship,  he  would  lead  us  all  a  jovial  life 
of  it ;  enumerating  the  casks  still  remaining  untapped  in 
the  Julia's  wooden  cellar.  It  was  even  hinted  vaguely, 
that  such  a  thing  might  happen  as  our  not  coming  back 
for  the  captain  ;  whom  he  spoke  of  but  lightly  ;  asserts 
ing,  what  he  had  often  said  before,  that  he  was  no 
sailor. 

Moreover,  and  perhaps  with  special  reference  to  Doc- 
tor Long  Ghost  and  myself,  he  assured  us  generally, 
that  if  there  were  any  among  us  studiously  inclined,  he 
would  take  great  pleasure  in  teaching  such  the  whole 
art  and  mystery  of  navigation,  including  the  gratuitous 
use  of  his  quadrant. 

I  should  have  mentioned,  that  previous  to  this,  he 
had  taken  the  doctor  aside,  and  said  something  about 
reinstating  him  in  the  cabin  with  augmented  dignity ; 
besides  throwing  out  a  hint,  that  I  myself  was  in  some 
way  or  other  to  be  promoted.  But  it  was  all  to  no  pur- 
pose ;  bent  the  men  were  upon  going  ashore,  and  there 
was  no  moving  them. 

At  last  he  flew  into  a  rage  —  much  increased  by  the 
frequency  of  his  potations  —  and  with  many  impreca- 
tions, concluded  by  driving  everybody  out  of  the  cabin. 
We  tumbled  up  the  gangway  in  high  good-humour. 

Upon  deck  everything  looked  so  quiet,  that  some  of 
the  most  pugnacious  spirits  actually  lamented  that  there 
was  so  little  prospect  of  an  exhilarating  disturbance 
before  morning.  It  was  not  five  minutes,  however,  ere 
these  fellows  were  gratified. 

Sydne}^  Ben  —  said  to  be  a  runaway  Ticket-of -Leave- 


98  OMOO. 

Man,1  and  for  reasons  of  his  own,  one  of  the  few  who 
still  remained  on  duty  —  had,  for  the  sake  of  the  fun, 
gone  down  with  the  rest  into  the  cabin ;  where  Bembo, 
who  meanwhile  was  left  in  charge  of  the  deck,  had  fre- 
quently called  out  for  him.  At  first,  Ben  pretended 
not  to  hear ;  but  on  being  sung  out  for  again  and  again, 
bluntly  refused ;  at  the  same  time  casting  some  illiberal 
reflections  on  the  Mowree's  maternal  origin,  which  the 
latter  had  been  long  enough  among  sailors  to  under- 
stand as  in  the  highest  degree  offensive.  So  just  after 
the  men  came  up  from  below,  Bembo  singled  him  out, 
and  gave  him  such  a  cursing  in  his  broken  lingo,  that  it 
was  enough  to  frighten  one.  The  convict  was  the 
worse  for  liquor ;  indeed  the  Mowree  had  been  tippling 
also,  and  before  we  knew  it,  a.  blow  was  struck  by  Ben, 
and  the  two  men  came  together  like  magnets. 

The  Ticket-of-Leave-Man  was  a  practised  bruiser; 
but  the  savage  knew  nothing  of  the  art  pugilistic :  and 
so  they  were  even.  It  was  clear  hugging  and  wrench- 
ing till  both  came  to  the  deck.  Here  they  rolled  over 
and  over  in  the  middle  of  a  ring  which  seemed  to  form 
of  itself.  At  last  the  white  man's  head  fell  back,  and 
his  face  grew  purple.  Bembo's  teeth  were  at  his  throat. 
Rushing  in  all  round,  they  hauled  the  savage  off,  but 
not  until  repeatedly  struck  on  the  head  would  he  let  go. 

His  rage  was  now  absolutely  demoniac ;  he  lay  glar- 
ing, and  writhing  on  the  deck,  without  attempting  to 
rise.  Cowed,  as  they  supposed  he  was,  from  his  atti- 
tude, the  men,  rejoiced  at  seeing  him  thus  humbled,  left 

1  Some  of  the  most  promising  convicts  in  New  South  Wales  are  hired 
out  to  the  citizens  as  servants;  thus  being,  in  some  degree,  permitted  to 
go  at  large;  government,  however,  still  claiming  them  as  wards.  They 
are  provided  with  tickets,  which  they  are  obliged  to  show  to  any  one 
who  pleases  to  suspect  their  being  abroad  without  warrant.  Hence  the 
above  appellation.    This  was  the  doctor's  explanation  of  the  term. 


Rushing  in  all  around,  they  hauled  the  savage  off." 

—Page  qS. 


THE  SECOND  NIGHT  OFF  PAPEETEE.  99 

him  ;  after  rating  him,  in  sailor  style,  for  a  cannibal  and 
a  coward. 

Ben  was  attended  to,  and  led  below. 

Soon  after  this,  the  rest  also,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
retired  into  the  forecastle ;  and  having  been  up  nearly- 
all  the  previous  night,  they  quickly  dropped  about  the 
chests  and  rolled  into  the  hammocks.  In  an  hour's 
time  not  a  sound  could  be  heard  in  that  part  of  the  ship. 

Before  Bembo  was  dragged  away,  the  mate  had  in 
vain  endeavoured  to  separate  the  combatants,  repeatedly 
striking  the  Mowree  ;  but  the  seamen  interposing,  at 
last  kept  him  off. 

And  intoxicated  as  he  was,  when  they  dispersed,  he 
knew  enough  to  charge  the  steward  —  a  steady  seaman 
be  it  remembered  —  with  the  present  safety  of  the  ship  ; 
and  then  went  below,  where  he  fell  directly  into  another 
drunken  sleep. 

Having  remained  upon  deck  with  the  doctor  some 
time  after  the  rest  had  gone  below,  I  was  just  on  the 
point  of  following  him  down,  when  I  saw  the  Mowree 
rise,  draw  a  bucket  of  water,  and  holding  it  high  above 
his  head,  pour  its  contents  right  over  him.  This  he 
repeated  several  times.  There  was  nothing  very  pecu- 
liar in  the  act,  but  something  else  about  him  struck  me. 
However,  I  thought  no  more  of  it,  but  descended  the 
scuttle. 

After  a  restless  nap,  I  found  the  atmosphere  of  the 
forecastle  so  close,  from  nearly  all  the  men  being  down 
at  the  same  time,  that  I  hunted  up  an  old  pea-jacket  and 
went  on  deck  ;  intending  to  sleep  it  out  there  till  morn- 
ing. Here  I  found  the  cook  and  steward,  Wymontoo, 
Rope  Yarn,  and  the  Dane  ;  who,  being  all  quiet,  man- 
ageable fellows,  and  holding  aloof  from  the  rest  since 
the  captain's  departure,  had  been  ordered  by  the  mate 


100  OMOO. 

not  to  go  below  until  sunrise.  They  were  lying  under 
the  lee  of  the  bulwarks ;  two  or  three  fast  asleep,  and 
the  others  smoking  their  pipes  and  conversing. 

To  my  surprise,  Bembo  was  at  the  helm ;  but  there 
being  so  few  to  stand  there  now,  they  told  me,  he  had 
offered  to  take  his  turn  with  the  rest,  at  the  same  time 
heading  the  watch ;  and  to  this,  of  course,  they  made 
no  objection. 

It  was  a  fine  bright  night ;  all  moon  and  stars,  and 
white  crests  of  waves.  The  breeze  was  light  but  fresh- 
ening ;  and  close  hauled,  poor  little  Jule,  as  if  nothing 
had  happened,  was  heading  in  for  the  land,  which  rose 
high  and  hazy  in  the  distance. 

After  the  day's  uproar,  the  tranquillity  of  the  scene 
was  soothing,  and  I  leaned  over  the  side  to  enjoy  it. 

More  than  ever  did  I  now  lament  my  situation  —  but 
it  was  useless  to  repine,  and  I  could  not  upbraid  myself. 
So  at  last,  becoming  drowsy,  I  made  a  bed  with  my 
jacket  under  the  windlass,  and  tried  to  forget  myself. 

How  long  I  lay  there,  I  cannot  tell ;  but,  as  I  rose, 
the  first  object  that  met  my  eye  was  Bembo  at  the 
helm ;  his  dark  figure  slowly  rising  and  falling  with  the 
ship's  motion  against  the  spangled  heavens  behind.  He 
seemed  all  impatience  and  expectation ;  standing  at 
arm's  length  from  the  spokes,  with  one  foot  advanced, 
and  his  bare  head  thrust  forward.  Where  I  was,  the 
watch  were  out  of  sight ;  and  no  one  else  was  stirring ; 
the  deserted  decks  and  broad  white  sails  were  gleaming 
in  the  moonlight. 

Presently,  a  swelling,  dashing  sound  came  upon  my 
ear,  and  I  had  a  sort  of  vague  consciousness  that  I  had 
been  hearing  it  before.  The  next  instant  I  was  broad 
awake  and  on  my  feet.  Right  ahead,  and  so  near  that 
my  heart  stood  still,  was  a  long  line  of  breakers,  heav- 


THE  SECOND  NIGHT  OFF  PAPEETEE.  101 

ing  and  frothing.  It  was  the  coral  reef,  girdling  the 
island.  Behind  it,  and  almost  casting  their  shadows 
upon  the  deck,  were  the  sleeping  mountains,  about 
whose  hazy  peaks  the  grey  dawn  was  just  breaking. 
The  breeze  had  freshened,  and  with  a  steady  gliding 
motion  we  were  running  straight  for  the  reef. 

All  was  taken  in  at  a  glance  ;  the  fell  purpose  of 
Bembo  was  obvious,  and  with  a  frenzied  shout  to  wake 
the  watch  I  rushed  aft.  They  sprang  to  their  feet  be- 
wildered ;  and  after  a  short,  but  desperate  scuffle,  we 
tore  him  from  the  helm.  In  wrestling  with  him,  the 
wheel  —  left  for  a  moment  unguarded  —  flew  to  lee- 
ward, thus,  fortunately,  bringing  the  ship's  head  to  the 
wind,  and  so  retarding  her  progress.  Previous  to  this, 
she  had  been  kept  three  or  four  points  free,  so  as  to 
close  with  the  breakers.  Her  headway  now  shortened, 
I  steadied  the  helm,  keeping  the  sails  just  lifting,  while 
we  glided  obliquely  toward  the  land.  To  have  run  off 
before  the  wind  —  an  easy  thing  —  would  have  been 
almost  instant  destruction,  owing  to  a  curve  of  the 
reef  in  that  direction.  At  this  time,  the  Dane  and 
the  steward  were  still  struggling  with  the  furious 
Mowree,  and  the  others  were  running  about  irresolute 
and  shouting. 

But,  darting  forward  the  instant  I  had  the  helm,  the 
old  cook  thundered  on  the  forecastle  with  a  handspike, 
"  Breakers !  breakers  close  aboard  !  —  'bout  ship  !  'bout 
ship !  " 

Up  came  the  sailors,  staring  about  them  in  stupid 
horror. 

"  Haul  back  the  head-yards !  "  "  Let  go  the  lee  fore- 
brace  !  "  "  Ready  about !  about !  "  were  now  shouted 
on  all  sides ;  while,  distracted  by  a  thousand  orders, 
they  ran  hither  and  thither,  fairly  panic-stricken. 


102  OMOO. 

It  seemed  all  over  with  us ;  and  I  was  just  upon  the 
point  of  throwing  the  ship  full  into  the  wind  (a  step 
which,  saving  us  for  the  instant,  would  have  sealed  our 
fate  in  the  end),  when  a  sharp  cry  shot  by  my  ear  like 
the  flight  of  an  arrow. 

It  was  Salem  :  "  All  ready  for'ard ;  hard  down  !  " 

Round  and  round  went  the  spokes  —  the  Julia  with 
her  short  keel  spinning  to  windward  like  a  top.  Soon 
the  jib-sheets  lashed  the  stays,  and  the  men,  more  self- 
possessed,  flew  to  the  braces. 

"  Main-sail  haul !  "  was  now  heard,  as  the  fresh  breeze 
streamed  fore  and  aft  the  deck ;  and  directly  the  after- 
yards  were  whirled  round. 

In  half  a  minute  more  we  were  sailing  away  from  the 
land  on  the  other  tack,  with  every  sail  distended. 

Turning  on  our  heel  within  little  more  than  a  biscuit's 
toss  of  the  reef,  no  earthly  power  could  have  saved  us, 
were  it  not  that,  up  to  the  very  brink  of  the  coral  ram' 
part,  there  are  no  soundings. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

OUTBREAK  OF  THE  CREW. 

The  purpose  of  Bembo  had  been  made  known  to  the 
men  generally  by  the  watch ;  and  now  that  our  salva- 
tion was  certain,  by  an  instinctive  impulse  they  raised  a 
cry,  and  rushed  toward  him. 

Just  before  liberated  by  Dunk  and  the  steward,  he 
was  standing  doggedly  by  the  mizzen-mast ;  and,  as  the 
infuriated  sailors  came  on,  his  bloodshot  eye  rolled,  and 
his  sheath-knife  glittered  over  his  head. 


OUTBREAK  OF  THE  CREW.  103 

"  Down  with  him  !  "  "  Strike  him  down  !  "  "  Hang 
him  at  the  main-yard ! "  such  were  the  shouts  now 
raised.  But  he  stood  unmoved,  and,  for  a  single  instant, 
they  absolutely  faltered. 

"  Cowards  !  "  cried  Salem,  and  he  flung  himself  upon 
him.  The  steel  descended  like  a  ray  of  light ;  but  did 
no  harm :  for  the  sailor's  heart  was  beating  against  the 
Mowree's  before  he  was  aware. 

They  both  fell  to  the  deck,  when  the  knife  was  in- 
stantly seized,  and  Bembo  secured. 

"  For'ard !  for'ard  with  him  !  "  was  again  the  cry ; 
"  give  him  a  sea-toss  !  "  "  overboard  with  him  !  "  and 
he  was  dragged  along  the  deck,  struggling  and  fighting 
with  tooth  and  nail. 

All  this  uproar  immediately  over  the  mate's  head  at 
last  roused  him  from  his  drunken  nap,  and  he  came 
staggering  on  deck. 

"  What's  this  ?  "  he  shouted,  running  right  in  among 
them. 

"  It's  the  Mowree,  zur ;  they  are  going  to  murder  him, 
zur,"  here  sobbed  poor  Rope  Yarn,  crawling  close  up  to 
him. 

"  Avast !  avast ! "  roared  Jermin,  making  a  spring 
toward  Bembo,  and  dashing  two  or  three  of  the  sailors 
aside.  At  this  moment  the  wretch  was  partly  flung 
over  the  bulwarks,  which  shook  with  his  frantic  strug- 
gles. In  vain  the  doctor  and  others  tried  to  save  him : 
the  men  listened  to  nothing. 

"Murder  and  mutiny,  by  the  salt  sea!  "  shouted  the 
mate ;  and  dashing  his  arms  right  and  left,  he  planted 
his  iron  hand  upon  the  Mowree's  shoulder. 

"  There  are  two  of  us  now ;  and  as  you  serve  him,  you 
serve  me,"  he  cried,  turning  fiercely  round. 

"  Over  with  them  together,  then,"  exclaimed  the  car- 


104  OMOO. 

penter,  springing  forward  ;  but  the  rest  fell  back  before 
the  courageous  front  of  Jermin,  and,  with  the  speed  of 
thought,  Bembo,  unharmed,  stood  upon  deck. 

"  Aft  with  ye ! "  cried  his  deliverer,  and  he  pushed 
him  right  among  the  men,  taking  care  to  follow  him  up 
close.  Giving  the  sailors  no  time  to  recover,  he  pushed 
the  Mowree  before  him  till  they  came  to  the  cabin 
scuttle,  when  he  drew  the  slide  over  him,  and  stood 
still.     Throughout,  Bembo  never  spoke  one  word. 

"  Now  for'ard,  where  ye  belong ! "  cried  the  mate, 
addressing  the  seamen,  who,  by  this  time,  rallying  again, 
had  no  idea  of  losing  their  victim. 

"The  Mowree!  the  Mowree !  "  they  shouted. 

Here  the  doctor,  in  answer  to  the  mate's  repeated 
questions,  stepped  forward,  and  related  what  Bembo 
had  been  doing;  a  matter  which  the  mate  but  dimly 
understood  from  the  violent  threatenings  he  had  been 
hearing. 

For  a  moment  he  seemed  to  waver;  but  at  last,  turn- 
ing the  key  in  the  padlock  of  the  slide,  he  breathed 
through  his  set  teeth  —  "Ye  can't  have  him;  I'll  hand 
him  over  to  the  consul ;  so  for'ard  with  ye,  I  say :  when 
there's  any  drowning  to  be  done,  I'll  pass  the  word ;  so 
away  with  ye,  ye  bloodthirsty  pirates ! " 

It  was  to  no  purpose  that  they  begged  or  threatened ; 
Jermin,  although  by  no  means  sober,  stood  his  ground 
manfully,  and  before  long  they  dispersed,  soon  to  for- 
get everything  that  had  happened. 

Though  we  had  no  opportunity  to  hear  him  confess 
it,  Bembo's  intention  to  destroy  us  was  beyond  all  ques- 
tion. His  only  motive  could  have  been  a  desire  to 
revenge  the  contumely  heaped  upon  him  the  night 
previous,  operating  upon  a  heart  irreclaimably  savage, 
and  at  no  time  fraternally  disposed  toward  the  crew. 


JERMIN  ENCOUNTERS  AN  OLD  SHIPMATE.       105 

During  the  whole  of  this  scene  the  doctor  did  his 
best  to  save  him.  But  well  knowing  that  all  I  could  do 
would  have  been  equally  useless,  I  maintained  my  place 
at  the  wheel.  Indeed,  no  one  but  Jermin  could  have 
prevented  this  murder. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

JERMIN  ENCOUNTERS   AN  OLD   SHIPMATE. 

During  the  morning  of  the  day  which  dawned  upon 
the  events  just  recounted,  we  remained  a  little  to  lee- 
ward of  the  harbour,  waiting  the  appearance  of  the  con- 
sul, who  had  promised  the  mate  to  come  off  in  a  shore 
boat  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  him. 

By  this  time  the  men  had  forced  his  secret  from  the 
cooper ;  and  the  consequence  was,  that  they  kept  him 
continually  coming  and  going  from  the  after-hold.  The 
mate  must  have  known  this  ;  but  he  said  nothing,  not- 
withstanding all  the  dancing  and  singing,  and  occasional 
righting  which  announced  the  flow  of  the  Pisco. 

The  peaceful  influence  which  the  doctor  and  myself 
had  heretofore  been  exerting  was  now  very  nearly  at  an 
end. 

Confident,  from  the  aspect  of  matters,  that  the  ship, 
after  all,  would  be  obliged  to  go  in;  and  learning, 
moreover,  that  the  mate  had  said  so,  the  sailors,  for  the 
present,  seemed  in  no  hurry  about  it;  especially  as  the 
bucket  of  Bungs  gave  such  generous  cheer. 

As  for  Bembo,  we  were  told  that,  after  putting  him 
in  double  irons,  the  mate  had  locked  him  up  in  the  cap- 
tain's stateroom,  taking   the    additional   precaution   of 


106  OMOO. 

keeping  the  cabin  scuttle  secured.  From  this  time  for- 
ward we  never  saw  the  Mowree  again,  a  circumstance 
which  will  explain  itself  as  the  narrative  proceeds. 

Noon  came,  and  no  consul ;  and  as  the  afternoon 
advanced  without  any  word  even  from  the  shore,  the 
mate  was  justly  incensed ;  more  especially,  as  he  had 
taken  great  pains  to  keep  perfectly  sober  against  Wilson's 
arrival. 

Two  or  three  hours  before  sundown,  a  small  schooner 
came  out  of  the  harbour,  and  headed  over  for  the  adjoin- 
ing island  of  Imeeo,  or  Moreea,  in  plain  sight,  about  fif- 
teen miles  distant.  The  wind  failing,  the  current  swept 
her  down  under  our  bows,  where  we  had  a  fair  glimpse 
of  the  natives  on  her  decks. 

There  were  a  score  of  them,  perhaps,  lounging  upon 
spread  mats,  and  smoking  their  pipes.  On  floating  so 
near,  and  hearing  the  maudlin  cries  of  our  crew,  and 
beholding  their  antics,  they  must  have  taken  us  for  a 
pirate ;  at  any  rate,  they  got  out  their  sweeps,  and 
pulled  away  as  fast  as  they  could ;  the  sight  of  our  two 
six-pounders,  which,  by  way  of  a  joke,  were  now  run  out 
of  the  side-ports,  giving  a  fresh  impetus  to  their  efforts. 
But  they  had  not  gone  far,  when  a  white  man,  with  a 
red  sash  about  his  waist,  made  his  appearance  on  deck, 
the  natives  immediately  desisting. 

Hailing  us  loudly,  he  said  he  was  coming  aboard ;  and 
after  some  confusion  on  the  schooner's  decks,  a  small 
canoe  was  launched  overboard,  and  in  a  minute  or  two 
he  was  with  us.  He  turned  out  to  be  an  old  shipmate 
of  Jermin's,  one  Viner,  long  supposed  dead,  but  now 
resident  on  the  island. 

The  meeting  of  these  men,  under  the  circumstances, 
is  one  of  a  thousand  occurrences  appearing  exaggerated 
in  fiction;  but,  nevertheless,  frequently  realised  in 
actual  lives  of  adventure. 


JEBMIN  ENCOUNTERS  AN  OLD  SHIPMATE.        107 

Some  fifteen  years  previous,  they  had  sailed  together 
as  officers  of  the  bark  Jane,  of  London,  a  South  Seaman. 
Somewhere  near  the  New  Hebrides,  they  struck  one 
night  upon  an  unknown  reef;  and,  in  a  few  hours,  the 
Jane  went  to  pieces.  The  boats,  however,  were  saved ; 
some  provisions  also,  a  quadrant,  and  a  few  other  arti- 
cles. But  several  of  the  men  were  lost  before  they  got 
clear  of  the  wreck. 

The  three  boats,  commanded  respectively  by  the  cap- 
tain, Jermin,  and  the  third  mate,  then  set  sail  for  a 
small  English  settlement  at  the  Bay  of  Islands  in  New 
Zealand.  Of  course  they  kept  together  as  much  as 
possible.  After  being  at  sea  about  a  week,  a  Lascar  in 
the  captain's  boat  went  crazy ;  and  it  being  dangerous 
to  keep  him,  they  tried  to  throw  him  overboard.  In  the 
confusion  that  ensued,  the  boat  capsized  from  the  sail's 
"  jibing ;  "  and  a  considerable  sea  running  at  the  time, 
and  the  other  boats  being  separated  more  than  usual, 
only  one  man  was  picked  up.  The  very  next  night  it 
blew  a  heavy  gale  ;  and  the  remaining  boats  taking  in 
all  sail,  made  bundles  of  their  oars,  flung  them  over- 
board, and  rode  to  them  with  plenty  of  line.  When 
morning  broke,  Jermin  and  his  men  were  alone  upon 
the  ocean ;  the  third  mate's  boat,  in  all  probability, 
having  gone  down. 

After  great  hardships,  the  survivors  caught  sight  of  a 
brig,  which  took  them  on  board,  and  eventually  landed 
them  in  Sydney. 

Ever  since  then  our  mate  had  sailed  from  that  port, 
never  once  hearing  of  his  lost  shipmates,  whom,  by  this 
time,  of  course,  he  had  long  given  up.  Judge,  then, 
his  feelings,  when  Viner,  the  lost  third  mate,  the  instant 
he  touched  the  deck,  rushed  up  and  wrung  him  by  the 
hand. 


108  OMOO. 

During  the  gale  his  line  had  parted  ;  so  that  the  boat, 
drifting  fast  to  leeward,  was  out  of  sight  by  morning. 
Reduced,  after  this,  to  great  extremities,  the  boat 
touched,  for  fruit,  at  an.  island  of  which  they  knew 
nothing.  The  natives,  at  first,  received  them  kindly  ; 
but  one  of  the  men  getting  into  a  quarrel  on  account  of  a 
woman,  and  the  rest  taking  his  part,  they  were  all  mas- 
sacred but  Viner,  who,  at  the  time,  was  in  an  adjoining 
village.  After  staying  on  the  island  more  than  two 
years,  he  finally  escaped  in  the  boat  of  an  American 
whaler,  which  landed  him  at  Valparaiso.  From  this 
period  he  had  continued  to  follow  the  seas,  as  a  man 
before  the  mast,  until  about  eighteen  months  previous, 
when  he  went  ashore  at  Tahiti,  where  he  now  owned 
the  schooner  we  saw,  in  which  he  traded  among  the 
neighbouring  islands. 

The  breeze  springing  up  again  just  after  nightfall, 
Viner  left  us,  promising  his  old  shipmate  to  see  him 
again,  three  days  hence,  in  Papeetee  harbour. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

WE  ENTER  THE  HARBOUR.  —  JIM  THE  PILOT. 

Exhausted  by  the  day's  wassail,  most  of  the  men 
went  below  at  an  early  hour,  leaving  the  deck  to  the 
steward  and  two  of  the  men  remaining  on  duty;  the 
mate,  with  Baltimore  and  the  Dane,  engaging  to  relieve 
them  at  midnight.  At  that  hour,  the  ship  —  now  stand- 
ing off  shore,  under  short  sail  —  was  to  be  tacked. 

It  was  not  long  after  midnight,  when  we  were  wak- 
ened in  the  forecastle  by  the  lion  roar  of  Jermin's  voice, 


WE  EN  TEE    THE  HARBOUR.— JIM  THE  PILOT.      109 

ordering  a  pull  at  the  jib-hazards  ;  and  soon  afterwards, 
a  handspike  struck  the  scuttle,  and  all  hands  were  called 
to  take  the  ship  into  port. 

This  was  wholly  unexpected ;  but  we  learned  directly, 
that  the  mate,  no  longer  relying  upon  the  consul,  and 
renouncing  all  thought  of  inducing  the  men  to  change 
their  minds,  had  suddenly  made  up  his  own.  He  was 
going  to  beat  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  so  as 
to  show  a  signal  for  a  pilot  before  sunrise. 

Notwithstanding  this,  the  sailors  absolutely  refused 
to  assist  in  working  the  ship  under  any  circumstances 
whatever :  to  all  mine  and  the  doctor's  entreaties  lend- 
ing a  deaf  ear.  Sink  or  strike,  they  swore  they  would 
have  nothing  more  to  do  with  her.  This  perverseness 
was  to  be  attributed,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the  effects 
of  their  late  debauch. 

With  a  strong  breeze,  all  sail  set,  and  the  ship  in  the 
hands  of  four  or  five  men,  exhausted  by  two  nights' 
watching,  our  situation  was  bad  enough ;  especially  as 
the  mate  seemed  more  reckless  than  ever,  and  we  were 
now  to  tack  ship  several  times  closer  under  the  land. 

Well  knowing  that  if  anything  untoward  happened 
to  the  vessel  before  morning,  it  would  be  imputed  to  the 
conduct  of  the  crew,  and  so  lead  to  serious  results, 
should  they  ever  be  brought  to  trial ;  I  called  together 
those  on  deck,  to  witness  my  declaration :  —  that  now 
that  the  Julia  was  destined  for  the  harbour  (the  only 
object  for  which  /,  at  least,  had  been  struggling),  I  was 
willing  to  do  what  I  could,  toward  carrying  her  in 
safely.     In  this  step  I  was  followed  by  the  doctor. 

The  hours  passed  anxiously  until  morning ;  when, 
being  well  to  windward  of  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  we 
bore  up  for  it,  with  the  union-jack  at  the  fore.  No  sign, 
however,  of  boat  or  pilot  was  seen  •  and  after  running 


110  OMOO. 

close  in  several  times,  the  ensign  was  set  at  the  mizen- 
peak,  union  down  in  distress.     But  it  was  of  no  avail. 

Attributing  to  Wilson  this  unaccountable  remissness 
on  the  part  of  those  ashore,  Jermin,  quite  enraged,  now 
determined  to  stand  boldly  in  upon  his  own  responsi- 
bility ;  trusting  solely  to  what  he  remembered  of  the 
harbour  on  a  visit  there  many  years  previous. 

This  resolution  was  characteristic.  Even  with  a  com- 
petent pilot,  Papeetee  Bay  is  considered  a  ticklish  one 
to  enter.  Formed  by  a  bold  sweep  of  the  shore,  it  is 
protected  seaward  by  the  coral  reef,  upon  which  the 
rollers  break  with  great  violence.  After  stretching 
across  the  bay,  the  barrier  extends  on  toward  Point 
Venus,1  in  the  district  of  Matavai,  eight  or  nine  miles 
distant.  Here  there  is  an  opening,  by  which  ships  enter, 
and  glide  down  the  smooth,  deep  canal,  between  the 
reef  and  the  shore  to  the  harbour.  But,  by  seamen  gen- 
erally, the  leeward  entrance  is  preferred,  as  the  wind  is 
extremely  variable  inside  the  reef.  This  latter  entrance 
is  a  break  in  the  barrier  directly  facing  the  bay  and  vil- 
lage of  Papeetee.  It  is  very  narrow ;  and,  from  the 
baffling  winds,  currents,  and  sunken  rocks,  ships  now 
and  then  grate  their  keels  against  the  coral. 

But  the  mate  was  not  to  be  daunted ;  so,  stationing 
what  men  he  had  at  the  braces,  he  sprang  upon  the 
bulwarks,  and,  bidding  everybody  keep  wide  awake, 
ordered  the  helm  up.  In  a  few  moments,  we  were  run- 
ning in.  Being  toward  noon,  the  wind  was  fast  leaving 
us,  and,  by  the  time  the  breakers  were  roaring  on  either 
hand,  little  more  than  steerage- way  was  left.  But  on 
we  glided  —  smoothly  and  deftly  ;  avoiding  the  green, 
darkling   objects  here  and  there  strewn   in   our  path: 

1  The  most  northerly  point  of  the  island ;  and  so  called  from  Cook's 
observatory  being  placed  there  during  his  first  visit. 


WE  ENTER   THE  HARBOUR.— JIM  THE  PILOT.      Ill 

Jermin  occasionally  looking  down  in  the  water,  and  then 
about  him,  with  the  utmost  calmness,  and  not  a  word 
spoken.  Just  fanned  along  thus,  it  was  not  many  min- 
utes ere  we  were  past  all  danger,  and  floated  into  the 
placid  basin  within.  This  was  the  cleverest  specimen 
of  his  seamanship  that  he  ever  gave  us. 

As  we  held  on  toward  the  frigate  and  shipping,  a 
canoe,  coming  out  from  among  them,  approached.  In 
it  were  a  boy  and  an  old  man  —  both  islanders  ;  the 
former  nearly  naked,  and  the  latter  dressed  in  an  old 
naval  frock-coat.  Both  were  paddling  with  might  and 
main ;  the  old  man,  once  in  a  while,  tearing  his  paddle 
out  of  the  water ;  and,  after  rapping  his  companion  over 
the  head,  both  fell  to  with  fresh  vigour.  As  they  came 
within  hail,  the  old  fellow,  springing  to  his  feet  and 
flourishing  his  paddle,  cut  some  of  the  queerest  of 
capers  ;  all  the  while  jabbering  something  which  at  first 
we  could  not  understand. 

Presently  we  made  out  the  following :  —  "  Ah  !  you 
pe  mi,  ah !  —  you  come  !  —  What  for  you  come  ?  —  You 
be  fine  for  come  no  pilot.  —  I  say,  you  hear  ?  —  I  say, 
you  ita  maitai  (no  good)  — You  hear?  —  You  no  pilot. 

—  Yes,  you  d me,  you  no  pilot  't  all ;  I  d you ; 

you  hear?" 

This  tirade,  which  showed  plainly  that,  whatever  the 
profane  rascal  was  at,  he  was  in  right  good  earnest,  pro- 
duced peals  of  laughter  from  the  ship.  Upon  which, 
he  seemed  to  get  beside  himself :  and  the  boy,  who,  with 
suspended  paddle,  was  staring  about  him,  received  a 
sound  box  over  the  head,  which  set  him  to  work  in 
a  twinkling,  and  brought  the  canoe  quite  near.  The 
orator  now  opening  afresh,  it  turned  out  that  his  vehe- 
ment rhetoric  was  all  addressed  to  the  mate,  still  stand- 
ing conspicuously  on  the  bulwarks. 


112  OMOO. 

But  Jermin  was  in  no  humour  for  nonsense ;  so,  with 
a  sailor's  blessing,  he  ordered  him  off.  The  old  fellow 
then  flew  into  a  regular  frenzy,  cursing  and  swearing 
worse  than  any  civilised  being  I  ever  heard. 

"  You  sabbee  1  me?"  he  shouted.  "  You  know  me, 
ah  ?  Well :  me  Jim,  me  pilot  —  been  pilot  now  long 
time." 

aAy,"  cried  Jermin,  quite  surprised,  as  indeed  we  all 
were,  "  you  are  the  pilot,  then,  you  old  pagan.  Why 
didn't  you  come  off  before  this?  " 

"  Ah  !  me  sabbee,  —  me  know  —  you  piratee  "  (pirate) 
— "  see  you  long  time,  but  no  me  come  — I  sabbee  you  — 
you  ita  maitai  nuee  "  (superlatively  bad). 

"  Paddle  away  with  ye,"  roared  Jermin  in  a  rage  ; 
"be  off ;  or  I'll  dart  a  harpoon  at  ye  !  " 

But,  instead  of  obeying  the  order,  Jim,  seizing  his 
paddle,  darted  the  canoe  right  up  to  the  gangway,  and, 
in  two  bounds,  stood  on  deck.  Pulling  a  greasy  silk 
handkerchief  still  lower  over  his  brow,  and  improving 
the  set  of  his  frock-coat  with  a  vigorous  jerk,  he  then 
strode  up  to  the  mate  ;  and,  in  a  more  flowery  style  than 
ever,  gave  him  to  understand  that  the  redoubtable 
"  Jim  "  himself  was  before  him  ;  that  the  ship  was  his 
until  the  anchor  was  down ;  and  he  should  like  to  hear 
what  any  one  had  to  say  to  it. 

As  there  now  seemed  little  doubt  that  he  was  all  he 
claimed  to  be,  the  Julia  was  at  last  surrendered. 

Our  gentleman  now  proceeded  to  bring  us  to  an  an- 
chor, jumping  up  between  the  knight-heads,  and  bawl- 
ing out,  "  Luff !  luff  !  keepy  off!  keepy  off!  "  and  in- 
sisting upon  each  time  being  respectfully  responded  to 
by  the  man  at  the  helm.     At  this  time  our  steerage- way 

1  A  corruption  of  the  French  word  savoir,  much  in  use  among  sailors  of 
all  nations,  and  hence  made  familiar  to  many  of  the  natives  of  Polynesia. 


WE  ENTER   THE  HARBOUR.— JIM  THE  PILOT.       113 

was  almost  gone ;  and  yet,  in  giving  his  orders,  the  pas- 
sionate old  man  made  as  much  fuss  as  a  white  squall 
aboard  the  Flying  Dutchman. 

Jim  turned  out  to  be  the  regular  pilot  of  the  harbour ; 
a  post,  be  it  known,  of  no  small  profit ;  and,  in  his  eyes, 
at  least,  invested  with  immense  importance. *  Our  un- 
ceremonious entrance,  therefore,  was  regarded  as  highly 
insulting,  and  tending  to  depreciate  both  the  dignity  and 
lucrativeness  of  his  office. 

The  old  man  is  something  of  a  wizard.  Having  an 
understanding  with  the  elements,  certain  phenomena  of 
theirs  are  exhibited  for  his  particular  benefit.  Unusu- 
ally clear  weather,  with  a  fine  steady  breeze,  is  a  certain 
sign  that  a  merchantman  is  at  hand;  whale-spouts  seen 
from  the  harbour,  are  tokens  of  a  whaling  vessel's  ap- 
proach ;  and  thunder  and  lightning,  happening  so  seldom 
as  they  do,  are  proof  positive  that  a  man-of-war  is  draw- 
ing near. 

In  short,  Jim,  the  pilot,  is  quite  a  character  in  his 
way ;  and  no  one  visits  Tahiti  without  hearing  some 
curious  story  about  him. 

1  For  a  few  years  past,  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  sail  have  an- 
nually touched  at  Tahiti.  They  are  principally  whalemen,  whose  cruis- 
ing-grounds  lie  in  the  vicinity.  Tli  e  harbour  dues  —  going  to  the  queen  — 
are  so  high,  that  they  have  often  been  protested  against.  Jim,  I  believe, 
gets  five  silver  dollars  for  every  ship  brought  in. 


114  OMOO. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A   GLANCE  AT  PAPEETEE.  —  WE    ARE      SENT     ABOARD 
THE  FRIGATE. 

The  village  of  Papeetee  struck  us  all  very  pleasantly. 
Lying  in  a  semicircle  round  the  bay,  the  tasteful  man- 
sions of  the  chiefs  and  foreign  residents  impart  an  air  of 
tropical  elegance,  heightened  by  the  palm-trees  waving 
here  and  there,  and  the  deep-green  groves  of  the  bread- 
fruit in  the  background.  The  squalid  huts  of  the  com- 
mon people  are  out  of  sight,  and  there  is  nothing  to  mar 
the  prospect. 

All  round  the  water  extends  a  wide,  smooth  beach  of 
mixed  pebbles  and  fragments  of  coral.  This  forms  the 
thoroughfare  of  the  village ;  the  handsomest  houses  all 
facing  it  —  the  fluctuations  of  the  tides  l  being  so  incon- 
siderable, that  they  cause  no  inconvenience. 

The  Pritchard  residence  —  a  fine  large  building  —  oc- 
cupies a  site  on  one  side  of  the  bay  :  a  green  lawn  slopes 
off  to  the  sea;  and  in  front  waves  the  English  flag. 
Across  the  water,  the  tri-colour,  also,  and  the  stars  and 
stripes,  distinguish  the  residences  of  the  other  consuls. 

What  greatly  added  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  bay 
at  this  time,  was  the  condemned  hull  of  a  large  ship, 
which  at  the  farther  end  of  the  harbour  lay  bilged  upon 
the  beach,  its  stern  settled  low  in  the  water,  and  the 
other  end  high  and  dry.     From  where  we  lay,  the  trees 

1  The  Newtonian  theory  concerning  the  tides  does  not  hold  good  at 
Tahiti ;  where,  throughout  the  year,  the  waters  uniformly  commence 
ehbing  at  noon  and  midnight,  and  flow  about  sunset  and  daybreak. 
Hence  the  term  Tooerar-Po  is  used  alike  to  express  high-water  and  mid- 
night. 


A   GLANCE  AT  PAPEETEE.  115 

behind  seem  to  lock  their  leafy  boughs  over  its  bowsprit ; 
which,  from  its  position,  looked  nearly  upright. 

She  was  an  American  whaler,  a  very  old  craft.  Having 
sprung  a  leak  at  sea,  she  had  made  all  sail  for  the  island, 
to  heave  down  for  repairs.  Found  utterly  unseaworthy, 
however,  her  oil  was  taken  out  and  sent  home  in  another 
vessel ;  the  hull  was  then  stripped  and  sold  for  a  trifle. 

Before  leaving  Tahiti,  I  had  the  curiosity  to  go  over 
this  poor  old  shju^-thus  stranded  on  a  strange  shore. 
What  were  my  emotions,  when  lsBrw-mponher  stern  the 
name  of  a  small  town  on  the  river  HudsonT^SShe  was 
from  the  noble  stream  on  whose  banks  I  was  born;  in 
whose  waters  I  had  a  hundred  times  bathed.  In  an  in- 
stant, palm-trees  and  elms  —  canoes  and  skiffs  —  church 
spires  and  bamboos  —  all  minged  in  one  vision  of  the 
present  and  the  past.  y/ 

.  But  we  must  not  leave  Little  Jule.  >r 

At-  last  the  wishes  of  many  were  gratifie^t^and like 
an  aeronauFs"gf3pnol,  hci  maly  litllcrgncnor  was  caught 
in  the  coral  groves  at  the  bottom  of  Papeetee  Bay.  This 
must  have  been  more  than  forty  days  after  leaving  the 
Marquesas. 

The  sails  were  yet  unfurled,  when  a  boat  came  along- 
side with  our  esteemed  friend  Wilson,  the  consul. 

"  How's  this,  how's  this,  Mr.  Jermin  ? "  he  began, 
looking  very  savage  as  he  touched  the  deck.  "  What 
brings  you  in  without  orders  ?  " 

"  You  did  not  come  off  to  us,  as  you  promised,  sir ;  and 
there  was  no  hanging  on  longer  with  nobody  to  work 
the  ship,"  was  the  blunt  reply. 

"  So  the  infernal  scoundrels  held  out  —  did  they  ? 
Very  good;  I'll  make  them  sweat  for  it,"  and  he  eyed 
the  scowling  men  with  unwonted  intrepidity.  The 
truth  was,  he  felt  safer  now,  then  when  outside  the  reef. 


116  OMOO. 

"  Muster  the  mutineers  on  the  quarter-deck,"  he  con- 
tinued. "  Drive  them  aft,  sir,  sick  and  well :  I  have  a 
word  to  say  to  them." 

" Now,  men,"  said  he,  "you  think  it's  all  well  with  you, 
I  suppose.  You  wished  the  ship  in,  and  here  she  is. 
Captain  Guy's  ashore,  and  you  think  you  must  go  too : 
but  we'll  see  about  that  —  I'll  miserably  disappoint  you." 
(These  last  were  his  very  words.)  "  Mr.  Jermin,  call 
off  the  names  of  those  who  did  not  refuse  duty,  and  let 
them  go  over  to  the  starboard  side." 

This  done,  a  list  was  made  out  of  the  "  mutineers,"  as 
he  was  pleased  to  call  the  rest.  Among  these,  the  doc- 
ter  and  myself  were  included;  though  the  former  stepped 
forward,  and  boldly  pleaded  the  office  held  by  him  when 
the  vessel  left  Sydney.  The  mate  also  —  who  had  always 
been  friendly  —  stated  the  service  rendered  by  himself 
two  nights  previous,  as  well  as  my  conduct  when  he  an- 
nounced his  intention  to  enter  the  harbour.  For  myself, 
I  stoutly  maintained,  that  according  to  the  tenor  of  the 
agreement  made  with  Captain  Guy,  my  time  aboard  the 
ship  had  expired  —  the  cruise  being  virtually  at  an  end, 
however  it  had  been  brought  about  —  and  I  claimed  my 
discharge. 

But  Wilson  would  hear  nothing.  Marking  something 
in  my  manner,  nevertheless,  he  asked  my  name  and 
country ;  and  then  observed  with  a  sneer,  "  Ah,  you 
are  the  lad,  I  see,  that  wrote  the  Round  Robin;  I'll 
take  good  care  of  you,  my  fine  fellow  —  step  back, 
sir." 

As  for  poor  Long  Ghost,  he  denounced  him  as  a 
"  Sydney  Flash-Gorger ;  "  though  what  under  heaven  he 
meant  by  that  euphonious  title,  is  more  than  I  can  tell. 
Upon  this,  the  doctor  gave  him  such  a  piece  of  his 
mind,  that  the  consul  furiously  commanded  him  to  hold 


A  GLANCE  AT  PAPEETEE.  117 

his  peace,  or  he  would  instantly  have  him  seized  into 
the  rigging,  and  flogged.  There  was  no  help  for  either 
of  us  —  we  were  judged  by  the  company  we  kept. 

All  were  now  sent  forward ;  not  a  word  being  said  as 
to  what  he  intended  doing  with  us. 

After  a  talk  with  the  mate,  the  consul  withdrew,  go- 
ing aboard  the  French  frigate,  which  lay  within  a  cable's 
length.  We  now  suspected  his  object ;  and,  since  mat- 
ters had  come  to  this  pass,  were  rejoiced  at  it.  In  a 
day  or  ,two  the  Frenchman  was  to  sail  for  Valparaiso, 
the  usual  place  of  rendezvous  for  the  English  squadron 
in  the  Pacific ;  and  doubtless,  Wilson  meant  to  put  us 
on  board,  and  send  us  thither  to  be  delivered  up. 
Should  our  conjecture  prove  correct,  all  we  had  to  ex- 
pect, according  to  our  most  experienced  shipmates,  was 
the  fag  end  of  a  cruise  in  one  of  her  majesty's  ships, 
and  a  discharge  before  long  at  Portsmouth. 

We  now  proceeded  to  put  on  all  the  clothes  we  could 
—  frock  over  frock,  and  trousers  over  trousers  —  so  as 
to  be  in  readiness  for  removal  at  a  moment's  warning. 
Armed  ships  allow  nothing  superfluous  to  litter  up  the 
deck ;  and  therefore,  should  we  go  aboard  the  frigate, 
our  chests  and  their  contents  would  have  to  be  left 
behind. 

In  an  hour's  time,  the  first-cutter  of  the  Reine 
Blanche  came  alongside,  manned  by  eighteen  or  twenty 
sailors,  armed  with  cutlasses  and  boarding-pistols,  —  the 
officers,  of  course,  wearing  their  side-arms,  and  the  con- 
sul in  an  official  cocked  hat,  borrowed  for  the  occasion. 
The  boat  was  painted  a  "  pirate  black, "  its  crew  were  a 
dark,  grim-looking  set,  and  the  officers  uncommonly 
fierce-looking  little  Frenchmen.  On  the  whole  they  were 
calculated  to  intimidate  —  the  consul's  object,  doubtless, 
in  bringing  them. 


118  OMOO. 

Summoned  aft  again,  every  one's  name  was  called 
separately;  and  being  solemnly  reminded  that  it  was 
his  last  chance  to  escape  punishment,  was  asked  if  he 
still  refused  duty.  The  response  was  instantaneous: 
"  Ay,  sir,  I  do."  In  some  cases  followed  up  by  divers 
explanatory  observations,  cut  short  by  Wilson's  order- 
ing the  delinquent  into  the  cutter.  As  a  general  thing, 
the  order  was  promptly  obeyed  —  some  taking  a  se- 
quence of  hops,  skips,  and  jumps,  by  way  of  showing, 
not  only  their  unimpaired  activity  of  body,  but  their 
alacrity  in  complying  with  all  reasonable  requests. 

Having  avowed  their  resolution  not  to  pull  another 
rope  of  the  Julia's  —  even  if  at  once  restored  to  perfect 
health  —  all  the  invalids,  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
to  be  set  ashore,  accompanied  us  into  the  cutter.  They 
were  in  high  spirits ;  so  much  so,  that  something  was 
insinuated  about  their  not  having  been  quite  as  ill  as 
they  pretended. 

The  cooper's  name  was  the  last  called ;  we  did  not 
hear  what  he  answered,  but  he  stayed  behind.  Nothing 
was  done  about  the  Mowree. 

Shoving  clear  from  the  ship,  three  loud  cheers  were 
raised;  Flash  Jack  and  others  receiving  a  sharp  repri- 
mand for  it  from  the  consul. 

"  Good-by,  Little  Jule,"  cried  Navy  Bob,  as  we  swept 
under  the  bows.  "  Don't  fall  overboard,  Ropey,"  said 
another  to  the  poor  land-lubber,  who,  with  Wymontoo, 
the  Dane,  and  others  left  behind,  was  looking  over  at 
us  from  the  forecastle. 

"  Give  her  three  more ! "  cried  Salem,  springing  to  his 
feet  and  whirling  his  hat  round.  "  You  sacre  damn  ras- 
keel,"  shouted  the  lieutenant  of  the  party,  bringing  the 
flat  of  his  sabre  across  his  shoulders,  "you  now  keepy 
steel." 


RECEPTION  FROM   THE  FRENCHMAN.  119 

The  doctor  and  myself,  more  discreet,  sat  quietly  in 
the  bow  of  the  cutter ;  and  for  my  own  part,  though  I 
did  not  repent  what  I  had  done,  my  reflections  were  far 
from  being  enviable. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

RECEPTION   FROM  THE   FRENCHMAN. 

In  a  few  moments  we  were  paraded  in  the  frigate's 
gangway  ;  the  first  lieutenant  —  an  elderly,  yellow-faced 
officer,  in  an  ill-cut  coat  and  tarnished  gold  lace  —  com- 
ing up,  and  frowning  upon  us. 

This  gentleman's  head  was  a  mere  bald  spot ;  his  legs, 
sticks ;  in  short,  his  whole  physical  vigour  seemed  ex- 
hausted in  the  production  of  one  enormous  mustache. 
Old  Gamboge,  as  he  was  forthwith  christened,  now 
received  a  paper  from  the  consul ;  and,  opening  it,  pro- 
ceeded to  compare  the  goods  delivered  with  the  invoice. 

After  being  thoroughly  counted,  a  meek  little  mid- 
shipman was  called,  and  we  were  soon  after  given  in 
custody  to  half-a-dozen  sailor-soldiers  —  fellows  with 
tarpaulins  and  muskets.  Preceded  by  a  pompous  func- 
tionary (whom  we  took  for  one  of  the  ship's  corporals, 
from  his  ratan  and  the  gold  lace  on  his  sleeve),  we  were 
now  escorted  down  the  ladders  to  the  berth-deck. 

Here  we  were  politely  handcuffed,  all  round ;  the 
man  with  the  bamboo  evincing  the  utmost  solicitude  in 
giving  us  a  good  fit  from  a  large  basket  of  the  articles 
of  assorted  sizes. 

Taken  by  surprise  at  such  an  uncivil  reception,  a  few 
of  the   party  demurred;  but  all  coyness  was,  at  last, 


120  OMOO. 

overcome ;  and  finally  our  feet  were  inserted  into  heavy- 
anklets  of  iron,  running  along  a  great  bar  bolted  down 
to  the  deck.  After  this,  we  considered  ourselves  per- 
manently established  in  our  new  quarters. 

"  The  deuce  take  their  old  iron ! "  exclaimed  the 
doctor ;  "  if  I'd  known  this,  I'd  stayed  behind." 

"  Ha,  ha ! "  cried  Flash  Jack,  "  you're  in  for  it,  Doctor 
Long  Ghost." 

"  My  hands  and  feet  are,  any  way,"  was  the  reply. 

They  placed  a  sentry  over  us;  a  great  lubber  of  a 
fellow  who  marched  up  and  down  with  a  dilapidated  old 
cutlass  of  most  extraordinary  dimensions.  From  its 
length,  wohaid  some-idea  that  jjj  wqg  expressly  intended 
to  kje^rpacrowd  in  order  —  reaching  over^fck^heads  of 
lalf-a-dozen,  say,  so  as  to  get  a  cut  at  somebody  behind. 

"  Mercy ! "    ejaculated   the    doctor,  with   a   shuddei 
what  a  sensation  it  must  be  to  be  killed  by  such  a  tool!" 

We  fasted  till  night,  when  one  of  the  boys  came  along 
with  a  couple  of  u  kidsj^cxoitaining  a  thin,  saffron-col- 
*ouTcd  fluid,  witfr"oiTy~particles  floating  on  top.  The 
young  wag  told  us  this  was  soup :  it  turned  out  to  be 
nothing  more  than  oleaginous  warm  water.  Such  as  it 
was,  nevertheless,  we  were  fain  to  make  a  meal  of  it, 
our  sentry  being  attentive  enough  to  undo  our  brace- 
lets. The  "  kids "  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and 
were  soon  emptied. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  sentry's  back  was 
turned,  some  one,  whom  we  took  for  an  English  sailor, 
tossed  over  a  few  oranges,  the  rinds  of  which  we  after- 
wards used  for  cups. 

On  the  second  day  nothing  happened  worthy  of 
record.  On  the  third,  we  were  amused  by  the  follow- 
ing scene. 

A  man,  whom  we  supposed  a  boatswain's  mate,  from 


THE  HEINE  BLANCHE.  121 

the  silver  whistle  hanging  from  his  neck,  came  below, 
driving  before  him  a  couple  of  blubbering  boys,  and 
followed  by  a  whole  troop  of  youngsters  in  tears.  The 
pair  it  seemed,  were  sent  down  to  be  punished  by  com- 
mand of  an  officer  :  the  rest  had  accompanied  them  out 
of  sympathy. 

The  boatswain's  mate  went  to  work  without  delay, 
seizing  the  poor  little  culprits  by  their  loose  frocks,  and 
using  a  ratan  without  mercy.  The  other  boys  wept, 
clasped  their  hands,  and  fell  on  their  knees  ;  but  in 
vain :  the  boatswain's  mate  only  hit  out  at  them  ;  once 
in  a  while  making  them  yell  ten  times  louder  than  ever. 

In  the  midst  of  the  tumult,  down  comes  a  midship- 
man, who,  with  a  great  air,  orders  the  man  on  deck,  and 
running  in  among  the  boys,  set  them  to  scampering  in 
all  directions. 

The  whole  of  this  proceeding  was  regarded  with  infi- 
nite scorn  by  Navy  Bob,  who,  years  before,  had  been 
captain  of  the  fore  top,  on  board  a  line-of-battle  ship.  In 
his  estimation,  it  was  a  lubberly  piece  of  business 
throughout :  they  did  things  differently  in  the  English 
navy. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   REINE   BLANCHE. 

I  cannot  forbear  a  brief  reflection  upon  the  scene 
ending  the  last  chapter. 

The  ratanning  of  the  young  culprits,  although  sig- 
nificant of  the  imperfect  discipline  of  a  French  man- 
of-war,  may  also  be  considered  as  in  some  measure 
characteristic  of  the  nation. 


122 


In  sm  American  or  English  shjpf  a  boy,  when  flogged, 
is  eitherTalflicd  to  the  brccdToi  a  gun,  or  brought  right 
up  to  the  gratings,  the  same  way  the  men  are.  But  as 
a  general  rule,  he  is  never  punished  beyond  his  strength. 
You  seldom  or  never  draw  a  cry  from  the  young  rogue. 
He  bites  his  tongue,  and  stands  up  to  it  like  a  hero.  If 
practicable  (which  is  not  always  the  case),  he  makes  a 
point  of  smiling  under  the  operation.  And  so  far  from 
his  companions  taking  any  compassion  on  him,  they 
always  make  merry  over  his  misfortunes.  Should  he 
turn  baby  and  cry,  they  are  pretty  sure  to  give  him 
afterwards  a  sly  pounding  in  some  dark  corner. 

This  tough  training  produces  its  legitimate  results.1 
The  boy  becomes,  in  time,  a  thoroughbred  tar,  equally 
ready  to  strip  and  take  a  dozen  on  board  his  own  ship, 
or,  cutlass  in  hand,  dash  pell-mell  on  board  the  enemy's. 
Whereas  the  young  Frenchman,  as  all  the  world  knows, 
makes  but  an  indifferent  seaman  ;  and  though,  for  the 
most  part,  he  fights  well  enough,  somehow  or  other  he 
seldom  fights  well  enough  to  beat. 

How  few  sea-battles  have  the  French  ever  won !  But 
more  :  how  few  ships  have  they  ever  carried  by  the 
board  —  that  true  criterion  of  naval  courage  !  But  not 
a  word  against  French  bravery  —  there  is  plenty  of  it  ; 
but  not  of  the  right  sort.  A  Yankee's,  or  an  English- 
man's, is  the  downright  Waterloo  "  game."  The  French 
fight  better  on  land  ;  and,  not  being  essentially  a  mari- 
time people,  they  ought  to  stay  there.  The  best  of 
shipwrights,  they  are  no  sailors. 


1  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  applauding  the  flogging  system 
practised  in  men-of-war.  As  long,  however,  as  navies  are  needed,  there 
is  no  substitute  for  it.  War  being  the  greatest  of  evils,  all  its  accessories 
necessarily  partake  of  the  same  character ;  and  this  is  about  all  that  can 
be  said  in  defence  of  flogging. 


THE  REINE  BLANCHE.  123 

And  this  carries  me  back  to  Reine  Blanche,  as  noble 
a  specimen  of  what  wood  and  iron  can  make  as  ever 
floated. 

She  was  a  new  ship ;  the  present  her  maiden  cruise. 
The  greatest  pains  having  been  taken  in  her  construc- 
tion, she  was  accounted  the  "crack"  craft  in  the  French 
navy.  She  is  one  of  the  heavy  sixty-gun  frigates  now 
in  vogue  all  over  the  world,  and  which  we  Yankees 
were  the  first  to  introduce.  In  action,  these  are  the 
most  murderous  vessels  ever  launched. 

The  model  of  the  Reine  Blanche  has  all  that  warlike 
comeliness  only  to  be  seen  in  a  fine  fighting-ship.  Still, 
there  is  a  good  deal  of  French  flummery  about  her  — 
brass-plates  and  other  gewgaws,  stuck  on  all  over,  like 
baubl  e  ]rm3  hnndnomr  womnn — — - 

"Xmong  other  things,  she  carries  a  stern  gallery  rest- 
ing on  the  uplifted  hands  of  two  Caryatides,  larger  than 
life.  You  step  out  upon  this  from  the  commodore's 
cabin.  To  behold  the  rich  hangings,  and  mirrors,  and 
mahogany  within,  one  is  almost  prepared  to  see  a  bevy 
of  ladies  trip  forth  on  the  balcony  for  an  airing. 

But  come  to  tread  the  gun-deck,  and  all  thoughts 
like  these  are  put  to  flight.  Such  batteries  of  thunder- 
bolt hurlers  !  with  a  sixty-eight-pounder  or  two  thrown 
in  as  make- weights.  On  the  spar-deck,  also,  are  carron- 
ades  of  enormous  calibre. 

Recently  built,  this  vessel,  of  course,  had  the  benefit 
of  the  latest  improvements.  I  was  quite  amazed  to  see 
on  what  high  principles  of  art  some  exceedingly  simple 
things  were  done.  But  your  Gaul  is  scientific  about 
everything ;  what  other  people  accomplish  by  a  few 
hard  knocks,  he  delights  in  achieving  by  a  complex 
arrangement  of  the  pulley,  lever,  and  screw. 

What  demi-semi-quavers  in  a  French  air !    In  exchan- 


124  omoo. 

ging  naval  courtesies,  I  have  known  a  French  band  play 
"Yankee  Doodle"  with  such  a  string  of  variations,  that 
no  one  but  a  "  pretty  'cute  "  Yankee  could  tell  what 
they  were  at. 

In  the  French  navy  they  have  no  marines ;  their  men, 
taking  turns  at  carrying  the  musket,  are  sailors  one 
moment,  and  soldiers  the  next ;  a  fellow  running  aloft 
in  his  line-frock  to-day,  to-morrow  stands  sentry  at  the 
admiral's  cabin-door.  This  is  fatal  to  anything  like 
proper  sailor  pride.  To  make  a  man  a  seaman,  he 
should  be  put  to  no  other  duty.  Indeed,  a  thorough  tar 
is  unfit  for  anything  else  ;  and  what  is  more,  this  fact  is 
the  best  evidence  of  his  being  a  true  sailor. 

On  board  the  Reine  Blanche,  they  did  not  have 
enough  to  eat :  and  what  they  did  have,  was  not  of  the 
right  sort.  Instead  of  letting  the  sailors  file  their  teeth 
against  the  rim  of  a  hard  sea-biscuit,  they  baked  their 
bread  daily  in  pitiful  little  rolls.  Then  they  had  no 
"  oro&  5  "  as  a  substitute,  they  drugged  the  poor  fellows 
with  a  thin,  sour  wine  —  the  juice  of  a  few  grapes,  per- 
haps, to  a  pint  of  the  juice  of  water-faucets.  Moreover, 
the  sailors  asked  for  meat,  and  they  gave  them  soup  ;  a 
rascally  substitute,  as  they  well  knew. 

Ever  since  leaving  home,  they  had  been  on  "  short 
allowance."  At  the  present  time,  those  belonging  to 
the  boats  —  and  thus  getting  an  occasional  opportunity 
to  run  ashore  —  frequently  sold  their  rations  of  bread 
to  some  less  fortunate  shipmate  for  six-fold  its  real 
value. 

Another  thing  tending  to  promote  dissatisfaction 
among  the  crew  was,  their  having  such  a  devil  of  a 
fellow  for  a  captain.  He  was  one  of  those  horrid  naval 
bores  —  a  great  disciplinarian.  In  port,  he  kept  them 
constantly  exercising  yards  and  sails,  and  manoeuvring 


THE  EEINE  BLANCHE.  125 

with  the  boats ;  and  at  sea,  they  were  forever  at  quar- 
ters ;  running  in  and  out  the  enormous  guns,  as  if  their 
arms  were  made  for  nothing  else.  Then  there  was  the 
admiral  aboard,  also  ;  and,  no  doubt,  he  too  had  a  pater- 
nal eye  over  them. 

In  the  ordinary  routine  of  duty,  we  could  not  but  be 
struck  with  the  listless,  slovenly  behaviour  of  these  men ; 
there  was  nothing  of  the  national  vivacity  in  their 
movements ;  nothing  of  the  quick  precision  perceptible 
on  the  deck  of  a  thoroughly  disciplined  armed  vessel. 

All  this,  however,  when  we  came  to  know  the  reason, 
was  no  matter  of  surprise ;  three-fourths  of  them  were 
pressed  men.  Some  old  merchant  sailors  had  been 
seized  the  very  day  they  landed  from  distant  voyages  ; 
while  the  landsmen,  of  whom  there  were  many,  had  been 
driven  down  from  the  country  in  herds,  and  so  sent 
to  sea. 

At  the  time,  I  was  quite  amazed  to  hear  of  press- 
gangs  in  a  day  of  comparative  peace:  but  the  anomaly 
is  accounted  for  by  the  fact,  that,  of  late,  the  French 
have  been  building  up  a  great  military  marine,  to  take 
the  place  of  that  which  Nelson  gave  to  the  waves  of  the 
sea  at  Trafalgar.  But  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  they  are 
not  building  their  ships  for  the  people  across  the  Chan- 
nel to  take.  In  case  of  a  war,  what  a  fluttering  of 
French  ensigns  there  would  be  ! 

Though  I  say  the  French  are  no  sailors,  I  am  far 
from  seeking  to  underrate  them  as  a  people.  They  are 
an  ingenious  and  right  gallant  nation.  And,  as  an 
American,  I  take  pride  in  asserting  it. 


126  omoo. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

THEY  TAKE  US  ASHORE.  —  WHAT  HAPPENED  THERE. 

Five  days  and  nights,  if  I  remember  right,  we  were 
aboard  the  frigate.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  fifth,  we 
were  told  that  the  next  morning  she  sailed  for  Val- 
paraiso. Rejoiced  at  this,  we  prayed  for  a  speedy  pas- 
sage. But,  as  it  turned  out,  the  consul  had  no  idea  of 
letting  us  off  so  easily.  To  our  no  small  surprise,  an 
officer  came  along  toward  night,  and  ordered  us  out  of 
irons.  Being  then  mustered  in  the  gangway,  we  were 
escorted  into  a  cutter  alongside,  and  pulled  ashore. 

Accosted  by  Wilson  as  we  struck  the  beach,  he 
delivered  us  up  to  a  numerous  guard  of  natives,  who  at 
once  conducted  us  to  a  house  near  by.  Here  we  were 
made  to  sit  down  under  a  shade  without ;  and  the  con- 
sul and  two  elderly  European  residents  passed  by  us, 
and  entered. 

After  some  delay,  during  which  we  were  much 
diverted  by  the  hilarious  good-nature  of  our  guard  — ■ 
one  of  our  number  was  called  out  for,  followed  by  an 
order  for  him  to  enter  the  house  alone. 

On  returning  a  moment  after,  he  told  us  we  had  little 
to  encounter.  It  had  simply  been  asked,  whether  he 
still  continued  of  the  same  mind;  on  replying  yes, 
something  was  put  down  upon  a  piece  of  paper,  and  he 
was  waved  outside.  All  being  summoned  in  rotation, 
my  own  turn  came  at  last. 

Within,  Wilson  and  his  two  friends  were  seated 
magisterially  at  a  table  —  an  inkstand,  a  pen,  and  a 
sheet  of  paper,  lending  quite  a  business-like  air  to  the 


THEY  TAKE   US  ASHORE.  127 

apartment.  These  three  gentlemen,  being  arrayed  in 
coats  and  pantaloons,  looked  respectable,  at  least  in  a 
country  where  complete  suits  of  garments  are  so  seldom 
met  with.  One  present  essayed  a  solemn  aspect ;  but 
having  a  short  neck  and  a  full  face  only  made  out  to 
look  stupid. 

It  was  this  individual  who  condescended  to  take  a 
paternal  interest  in  myself.  After  declaring  my  reso- 
lution with  respect  to  the  ship  unalterable,  I  was  pro- 
ceeding to  withdraw,  in  compliance  with  a  sign  from 
the  consul,  when  the  stranger  turned  round  to  him,  say- 
ing, "  Wait  a  minute,  if  you  please,  Mr.  Wilson ;  let 
me  talk  to  that  youth.  Come  here,  my  young  friend: 
I'm  extremely  sorry  to  see  you  associated  with  these 
bad  men ;  do  you  know  what  it  will  end  in  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  the  lad  that  wrote  the  Round  Robin," 
interposed  the  consul.  uHe  and  that  rascally  doctor 
are  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole  affair  —  go  outside,  sir." 

I  retired  as  from  the  presence  of  royalty  ;  backing 
out  with  many  bows. 

The  evidejit^ejttdice  of  Wilson  against  both  the  doc- 
tor aji^myself  was  by  i\o  means  inexplicable.  A  man 
of  any  education  before/the  mast  is  always  looked  upon 
with  'dislike  by^Jaig^captain ;  and,  never  mind  how 
peaceable  he  may  be,  should  any  disturbance  arise,  from 
his  intellectual  superiority,  he  is  deemed  to  exert  an 
underhand  influence  against  the  officers. 

Little  as  I  had  seen  of  Captain  Guy,  the  few  glances 
cast  upon  me  after  being  on  board  a  week  or  so,  were 
sufficient  to  reveal  his  enmity — a  feeling  quickened  by 
my  undisguised  companionship  with  Long  Ghost,  whom 
he  both  feared  and  cordially  hated.  Guy's  relations 
with  the  consul  readily  explains  the  latter's  hostility. 

The  examination  over,    WIIsop  and  his    friends    ad- 


128  omoo. 

vanced  to  the  doorway ;  when  the  former,  assuming  a 
severe  expiession,  pronounced  our  perverseness  infatua- 
tion in  the  extreme.  Nor  was  there  any  hope  left :  our 
last  chance  for  pardon  was  gone.  Even  were  we  to 
become  contrite,  and  crave  permission  to  return  to  duty, 
it  would  not  now  be  permitted. 

"  Oh !  get  along  with  your  gammon,  counsellor"  ex- 
claimed Black  Dan,  absolutely  indignant  that  his  under- 
standing should  be  thus  insulted. 

Quite  enraged,  Wilson  bade  him  hold  his  peace  ;  and 
then,  summoning  a  fat  old  native  to  his  side,  addressed 
him  in  Tahitian,  giving  directions  for  leading  us  away 
to  a  place  of  safe  keeping. 

Hereupon,  being  marshalled  in  order,  with  the  old 
man  at  our  head,  we  were  put  in  motion,  with  loud 
shouts,  along  a  fine  pathway,  running  far  on,  through 
wide  groves  of  the  cocoa-nut  and  bread-fruit. 

The  rest  of  our  escort  trotted  on  beside  us  in  high 
good  humour  ;  jabbering  broken  English,  and  in  a  hun- 
dred ways  giving  us  to  understand  that  Wilson  was  no 
favourite  of  theirs,  and  that  we  were  prime  good  fellows 
for  holding  out  as  we  did.  They  seemed  to  know  our 
whole  history. 

The  scenery  around  was  delightful.  The  tropical 
day  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close ;  and  from  where  we 
were,  the  sun  looked  like  a  vast  red  fire  burning  in  the 
woodlands  —  its  rays  falling  aslant  through  the  endless 
ranks  of  trees,  and  every  leaf  fringed  with  flame. 
Escaped  from  the  confined  decks  of  the  frigate,  the  air 
breathed  spices  to  us ;  streams  were  heard  flowing ; 
green  boughs  were  rocking ;  and  far  inland,  all  sunset 
flushed,  rose  the  still,  steep  peaks  of  the  island. 

As  we  proceeded,  I  was  more  and  more  struck  by  the 
picturesqueness  of  the  wide  shaded  road.     In  several 


THEY  TAKE   US  ASHORE.  129 

places,  durable  bridges  of  wood  were  thrown  over  large 
watercourses  ;  others  were  spanned  by  a  single  arch  of 
stone.  In  any  part  of  the  road  three  horsemen  might 
have  ridden  abreast. 

This  beautiful  avenue  —  by  far  the  best  thing  which 
civilisation  has  done  for  the  island  —  is  called  by  for- 
eigners "  the  Broom  Road,"  though  for  what  reason  I 
do  not  know.  Originally  planned  for  the  convenience 
of  the  missionaries  journeying  from  one  station  to 
another,  it  almost  completely  encompasses  the  larger 
peninsula ;  skirting  for  a  distance  of  at  least  sixty 
miles  along  the  low,  fertile  lands  bordering  the  sea. 
But  on  the  side  next  Taiarboo,  or  the  lesser  peninsula, 
it  sweeps  through  a  narrow,  secluded  valley,  and  thus 
crosses  the  island  in  that  direction. 

The  uninhabited  interior,  being  almost  impenetrable 
from  the  densely  wooded  glens,  frightful  precipices,  and 
sharp  mountain  ridges  absolutely  inaccessible,  is  but 
little  known,  even  to  the  natives  themselves ;  and  so, 
instead  of  striking  directly  across  from  one  village  to 
another,  they  follow  the  Broom  Road  round  and  round.1 

It  is  by  no  means,  however,  altogether  travelled  on 
foot ;  horses  being  now  quite  plentiful.  They  were  in- 
troduced from  Chili ;  and,  possessing  all  the  gayety, 
fleetness,  and  docility  of  the  Spanish  breed,  are  admi- 
rably adapted  to  the  tastes  of  the  higher  classes,  who  as 
equestrians  have  become  very  expert.     The  missionaries 

1  Concerning  the  singular  ignorance  of  the  natives  respecting  their 
own  country,  it  may  be  here  observed,  that  a  considerable  inland  lake 
—  Waiherea  by  name — is  known  to  exist,  although  their  accounts 
of  it  strangely  vary.  Some  told  me  it  had  no  bottom,  no  outlet,  and  no 
inlet ;  others,  that  it  fed  all  the  streams  on  the  island.  A  sailor  of  my 
acquaintance  said  that  he  once  visited  this  marvellous  lake,  as  one  of  an 
exploring  party  from  an  English  sloop-of-war.  It  was  found  to  be  a  great 
curiosity ;  very  small,  deep,  and  green ;  a  choice  well  of  water  bottled 
up  among  the  mountains,  and  abounding  with  delicious  fish. 


130  OMOO. 

and  chiefs  never  think  of  journeying  except  in  the 
saddle ;  and  at  all  hours  of  the  day  you  see  the  latter 
galloping  along  at  full  speed.  Like  the  Sandwich 
Islanders,  they  ride  like  Pawnee-Loups. 

For  miles  and  miles  I  have  travelled  the  Broom  Road, 
and  never  wearied  of  the  continual  change  of  scenery. 
But  wherever  it  leads  you  —  whether  through  level 
woods,  across  grassy  glens,  or  over  hills  waving  with 
palms  —  the  bright  blue  sea  on  one  side,  and  the  green 
mountain  pinnacles  on  the  other,  are  always  in  sight. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  CALABOOZA  BERETANEE. 

About  a  mile  from  the  village  we  came  to  a  halt. 

It  was  a  beautiful  spot.  A  mountain  stream  here 
flowed  at  the  foot  of  a  verdant  slope ;  on  one  hand,  it 
murmured  along  until  the  waters,  spreading  themselves 
upon  a  beach  of  small,  sparkling  shells,  trickled  into  the 
sea ;  on  the  other,  was  a  long  defile,  where  the  eye  pur- 
sued a  gleaming,  sinuous  thread,  lost  in  shade  and 
verdure. 

The  ground  next  the  road  was  walled  in  by  a  low, 
rude  parapet  of  stones  ;  and,  upon  the  summit  of  the 
slope  beyond,  was  a  large  native  house,  the  thatch  daz- 
zling white,  and,  in  shape,  an  oval.  • 

"Calabooza!  Calabooza  Beretanee  ! "  (the  English 
Jail),  cried  our  conductor,  pointing  to  the  building. 

For  a  few  months  past,  having  been  used  by  the  con- 
sul as  a  house  of  confinement  for  his  refractory  sailors, 


THE  CALABOOZA  BERETANEE.  131 

it  was  thus  styled  to  distinguish  it  from  similar  places 
in  and  about  Papeetee. 

Though  extremely  romantic  in  appearance,  on  a  near 
approach  it  proved  but  ill  adapted  to  domestic  comfort. 
In  short,  it  was  a  mere  shell,  recently  built,  and  still 
unfinished.  It  was  open  all  round,  and  tufts  of  grass 
were  growing  here  and  there  under  the  very  roof.  The 
only  piece  of  furniture  was  the  "stocks,"  a  clumsy 
machine  for  keeping  people  in  one  place,  which,  I  be- 
lieve, is  pretty  much  out  of  date  in  most  countries.  It 
is  still  in  use,  however,  among  the  Spaniards  in  South 
America ;  from  whom,  it  seems,  the  Tahitians  have  bor- 
rowed the  contrivance,  as  well  as  the  name  by  which  all 
places  of  confinement  are  known  among  them. 

The  stocks  were  nothing  more  than  two  stout  timbers, 
about  twenty  feet  in  length,  and  precisely  alike.  One 
was  placed  edgeways  on  the  ground,  and  the  other  rest- 
ing on  top,  left,  at  regular  intervals  along  the  seam, 
several  round  holes,  the  object  of  which  was  evident  at 
a  glance. 

By  this  time  our  guide  had  informed  us  that  he  went 
by  the  name  of  "  Capin  Bob"  (Captain  Bob);  and  a 
hearty  old  Bob  he  proved.  It  was  just  the  name  for 
him.  From  the  first,  so  pleased  were  we  with  the  old 
man,  that  we  cheerfully  acquiesced  in  his  authority. 

Entering  the  building,  he  set  us  about  fetching  heaps 
of  dry  leaves  to  spread  behind  the  stocks  for  a  couch. 
A  trunk  of  a  small  cocoanut-tree  was  then  placed  for  a 
bolster  —  rather  a  hard  one,  but  the  natives  are  used  to 
it.  For  a  pillow,  they  use  a  little  billet  of  wood,  scooped 
out,  and  standing  on  four  short  legs  —  a  sort  of  head- 
stool. 

These  arrangements  completed,  Captain  Bob  pro- 
ceeded to  "  hannapar,"  or  secure  us,  for  the  night.     The 


132  OMOO. 

upper  timber  of  the  machine  being  lifted  at  one  end, 
and  our  ankles  placed  in  the  semicircular  spaces  of  the 
lower  one,  the  other  beam  was  then  dropped ;  both  being 
finally  secured  together  by  an  old  iron  hoop  at  either 
extremity.  This  initiation  was  performed  to  the  boister- 
ous mirth  of  the  natives,  and  diverted  ourselves  not  a 
little. 

Captain  Bob  now  bustled  about,  like  an  old  woman 
seeing  the  children  to  bed.  A  basket  of  baked  "  taro," 
or  Indian  turnip,  was  brought  in,  and  we  were  given  a 
piece  all  round.  Then  a  great  counterpane,  of  coarse, 
brown  "tappa,"  was  stretched  over  the  whole  party; 
and,  after  sundry  injunctions  to  "  moee-moee,"  and  be 
"  maitai  "  —  in  other  words,  to  go  to  sleep,  and  be  good 
boys  —  we  were  left  to  ourselves,  fairly  put  to  bed  and 
tucked  in. 

Much  talk  was  now  had  concerning  our  prospects  in 
life ;  but  the  doctor  and  I,  who  lay  side  by  side,  thinking 
the  occasion  better  adapted  to  meditation,  kept  pretty 
silent ;  and,  before  long,  the  rest  ceased  conversing,  and, 
wearied  with  loss  of  rest  on  board  the  frigate,  were  soon 
sound  asleep. 

After  sliding  from  one  revery  into  another,  I  started, 
and  gave  the  doctor  a  pinch.  He  was  dreaming,  how- 
ever; and,  resolved  to  follow  his  example,  I  troubled 
him  no  more. 

How  the  rest  managed,  I  know  not ;  but,  for  my  own 
part,  I  found  it  very  hard  to  get  asleep.  The  conscious- 
ness of  having  one's  foot  pinned,  and  the  impossibility 
of  getting  it  anywhere  else  than  just  where  it  was,  was 
most  distressing. 

But  this  was  not  all ;  there  was  no  way  of  lying  but 
straight  on  your  back  ;  unless,  to  be  sure,  one's  limb 
went  round   and   round  in   the   ankle,  like   a   swivel. 


THE  CALABOOZA  BERETANEE.  133 

Upon  getting  into  a  sort  of  doze,  it  was  no  wonder  this 
uneasy  posture  gave  me  the  nightmare.  Under  the 
delusion  that  I  was  about  some  gymnastics  or  other,  I 
gave  my  unfortunate  member  such  a  twitch,  that  I 
started  up  with  the  idea  that  some  one  was  dragging 
the  stocks  away. 

Captain  Bob  and  his  friends  lived  in  a  little  hamlet 
hard  by;  and  when  morning  showed  in  the  East,  the 
old  gentleman  came  forth  from  that  direction  likewise, 
emerging  from  a  grove,  and  saluting  us  loudly  as  he 
approached. 

Finding  eveiybody  awake,  he  set  us  at  liberty  ;  and, 
leading  us  down  to  the  stream,  ordered  every  man  to 
strip  and  bathe. 

"All  han's,  my  boy,  hanna-hanna,  wash!"  he  cried. 
Bob  was  a  linguist,  and  had  been  to  sea  in  his  day,  as 
he  many  a  time  afterward  told  us. 

At  this  moment,  we  were  all  alone  with  him ;  and  it 
would  have  been  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  have 
given  him  the  slip ;  but  he  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of 
such  a  thing;  treating  us  so  frankly  and  cordially, 
indeed,  that  even  had  we  thought  of  running,  we  would 
have  been  ashamed  of  attempting  it.  He  very  well 
knew,  nevertheless  (as  we  ourselves  were  not  slow  in 
finding  out),  that,  for  various  reasons,  any  attempt  of 
the  kind,  without  some  previously  arranged  plan  for 
leaving  the  island,  would  be  certain  to  fail. 

As  Bob  was  a  rare  one  every  way,  I  must  give  some 
account  of  him.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  "  personal 
appearance  "  about  him ;  in  short,  he  was  a  corpulent 
giant,  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  literally  as  big  round 
as  a  hogshead.  The  enormous  bulk  of  some  of  the 
Tahitians  has  been  frequently  spoken  of  by  voyagers. 

Beside  being  the  English  consul's  jailer,  as  it  were, 


134  omoo. 

he  carried  on  a  little  Tahitian  farming ;  that  is  to  say, 
he  owned  several  groves  of  the  bread-fruit  and  palm, 
and  never  hindered  their  growing.  Close  by  was  a 
"  taro  "  patch  of  his,  which  he  occasionally  visited. 

Bob  seldom  disposed  of  the  produce  of  his  lands ;  it 
was  all  needed  for  domestic  consumption.  Indeed,  for 
gormandising,  I  would  have  matched  him  against  any 
three  common-councilmen  at  a  civic  feast. 

A  friend  of  Bob's  told  me,  that,  owing  to  his  vora- 
ciousness, his  visits  to  other  parts  of  the  island  were  much 
dreaded ;  for,  according  to  Tahitian  customs,  hospitality 
without  charge  is  enjoined  upon  every  one ;  and  though 
it  is  reciprocal  in  most  cases,  in  Bob's  it  was  almost  out 
of  the  question.  The  damage  done  to  a  native  larder 
in  one  of  his  morning  calls  was  more  than  could  hi 
made  good  by  his  entertainer's  spending  the  holidays 
with  him. 

The  old  man,  as  I  have  hinted,  had,  once  upon  a  time, 
been  a  cruise  or  two  in  a  whaling-vessel ;  and,  therefore, 
he  prided  himself  upon  his  English.  Having  acquired 
what  he  knew  of  it  in  the  forecastle,  he  talked  little  else 
than  sailor  phrases,  which  sounded  whimsically  enough. 

I  asked  him  one  day  how  old  he  was.  "  Olee ! "  he 
exclaimed,  looking  very  profound  in  consequence  of 
thoroughly  understanding  so  subtile  a  question  —  "  Oh ! 
very  olee  — 'tousand  'ear  —  more  —  big  man  when  Capin 
Tootee  (Captain  Cook)  heavey  in  sight"  (in  sea  par- 
lance, came  into  view). 

This  was  a  thing  impossible;  but  adapting  my  dis- 
course to  the  man,  I  rejoined  — "  Ah !  you  see  Capin 
Tootee  —  well,  how  you  like  him  ?  " 

"  Oh !  he  maitai  (good)  :  friend  of  me,  and  know  my 
wife." 

On  my  assuring  him  strongly,  that  he  could  not  have 


THE  CALABOOZA   BEBETANEB.  135 

been  born  at  the  time,  he  explained  himself  by  saying, 
that  he  was  speaking  of  his  father  all  the  while.  This, 
indeed,  might  very  well  have  been. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  all  these  people,  young  and 
old,  will  tell  you  that  they  have  enjoyed  the  honour  of 
a  personal  acquaintance  with  the  great  navigator ;  and 
if  you  listen  to  them,  they  will  go  on  and  tell  anecdotes 
without  end.  This  springs  from  nothing  but  their  great 
desire  to  please ;  well  knowing  that  a  more  agreeable 
topic  for  a  white  man  could  not  be  selected.  As  for  the 
anachronism  of  the  thing,  they  seem  to  have  no  idea  of 
it :  days  and  years  are  all  the  same  to  them. 

After  our  sunrise  bath,  Bob  once  more  placed  us  in 
the  stocks,  almost  moved  to  tears  at  subjecting  us  to  so 
great  a  hardship ;  but  he  could  not  treat  us  otherwise, 
he  said,  on  pain  of  the  consul's  displeasure.  How  long 
we  were  to  be  confined,  he  did  not  know ;  nor  what  was 
to  be  done  with  us  in  the  end. 

As  noon  advanced,  and  no  signs  of  a  meal  were  visi- 
ble, some  one  inquired  whether  we  were  to  be  boarded, 
as  well  as  lodged,  at  the  Hotel  de  Calabooza? 

"  Vast  heavey  "  (avast  heaving,  or  wait  a  bit)  —  said 
Bob  —  "kow-kow"  (food)  "come  ship  by  by." 

And,  sure  enough,  along  comes  Rope  Yarn  with  a 
wooden  bucket  of  the  Julia's  villanous  biscuit.  With  a 
grin,  he  said  it  was  a  present  from  Wilson ;  it  was  all  we 
were  to  get  that  day.  A  great  cry  was  now  raised ;  and 
well  was  it  for  the  land-lubber,  that  he  had  a  pair  of 
legs,  and  the  men  could  not  use  theirs.  One  and  all, 
we  resolved  not  to  touch  the  bread,  come  what  come 
might ;  and  so  we  told  the  natives. 

Being  extravagantly  fond  of  ship-biscuit  —  the  harder 
the  better  —  they  were  quite  overjoyed ;  and  offered  to 
give  us  every  day  a  small  quantity  of  baked  bread-fruit 


136  omoo. 

and  Indian  turnip  in  exchange  for  the  bread.  This  we 
agreed  to ;  and  every  morning  afterward,  when  the 
bucket  came,  its  contents  were  at  once  handed  over  to 
Bob  and  his  friends,  who  never  ceased  munching  until 
nightfall. 

Our  exceedingly  frugal  meal  of  bread-fruit  over,  Cap- 
tain Bob  waddled  up  to  us  with  a  couple  of  long  poles 
hooked  at  one  end,  and  several  large  baskets  of  woven 
cocoanut  branches. 

Not  far  off  was  an  extensive  grove  of  orange  trees  in 
full  bearing ;  and  myself  and  another  were  selected  to 
go  with  him,  and  gather  a  supply  for  the  party.  When 
we  went  in  among  the  trees,  the  sumptuousness  of  the 
orchard  was  unlike  anything  I  had  ever  seen ;  while  the 
fragrance  shaken  from  the  gently  waving  boughs  regaled 
our  senses  most  delightfully. 

In  many  places  the  trees  formed  a  dense  shade,  spread- 
ing overhead  a  dark,  rustling  vault,  groined  with  boughs, 
and  studded  here  and  there  with  the  ripened  spheres, 
like  gilded  balls.  In  several  places,  the  overladen 
branches  were  borne  to  the  earth,  hiding  the  trunk  in  a 
tent  of  foliage.  Once  fairly  in  the  grove,  we  could  see 
nothing  else :  it  was  oranges  all  round. 

To  preserve  the  fruit  from  bruising,  Bob,  hooking  the 
twigs  with  his  pole,  let  them  fall  into  his  basket.  But 
tihs  would  not  do  for  us ;  seizing  hold  of  a  bough,  we 
brought  such  a  shower  to  the  ground,  that  our  old  friend 
was  fain  to  run  from  under.  Heedless  of  remonstrance, 
we  then  reclined  in  the  shade,  and  feasted  to  our  hearts' 
content.  Heaping  up  the  baskets  afterwards,  we  re- 
turned to  our  comrades,  by  whom  our  arrival  was  hailed 
with  loud  plaudits ;  and  in  a  marvellously  short  time, 
nothing  was  left  of  the  oranges  we  brought  but  the 
rinds. 


PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE  FRENCH  AT  TAHITI.        137 

While  inmates  of  the  Calabooza,  we  had  as  much  of 
the  fruit  as  we  wanted ;  and  to  this  cause,  and  others 
that  might  be  mentioned,  may  be  ascribed  the  speedy 
restoration  of  our  sick  to  comparative  health. 

The  orange  of  Tahiti  is  delicious  —  small  and  sweet, 
with  a  thin,  dry  rind.  Though  now  abounding,  it  was 
unknown  before  Cook's  time,  to  whom  the  natives  are 
indebted  for  so  great  a  blessing.  He  likewise  introduced 
several  other  kinds  of  fruit ;  among  these  were  the  fig, 
pine-apple,  and  lemon,  now  seldom  met  with.  The  lime 
still  grows,  and  some  of  the  poorer  natives  express  the 
juice  to  sell  to  the  shipping.  It  is  highly  valued  as  an 
anti-scorbutic.  Nor  was  the  variety  of  foreign  fruits 
and  vegetables  which  were  introduced  the  only  benefit 
conferred  by  the  first  visitors  to  the  Society  group. 
Cattle  and  sheep  were  left  at  various  places.  More  of 
them  anon. 

Thus,  after  all  that  has  of  late  years  been  done  for 
these  islanders,  Cook  and  Vancouver  may,  in  one  sense 
at  least,  be  considered  their  greatest  benefactors. 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE    FRENCH   AT   TAHITI. 

As  I  happened  to  arrive  at  the  island  at  a  very  inter- 
esting period  in  its  political  affairs,  it  may  be  well  to 
give  some  little  account  here  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
French,  by  way  of  episode  to  the  narrative.  My  infor- 
mation was  obtained  at  the  time  from  the  general  reports 
then  rife  among  the  natives,  as  well  as  from  what  I 
learned  upon  a  subsequent  visit,  and  reliable  accounts 
which  I  have  seen  since  reaching  home. 


138  omoo. 

It  seems,  that  for  some  time  back  the  French  had 
been  making  repeated  ineffectual  attempts  to  plant  a 
Roman  Catholic  mission  here.  But,  invariably  treated 
with  contumely,  they  sometimes  met  with  open  violence  ; 
and,  in  every  case,  those  directly  concerned  in  the  enter- 
prise were  ultimately  forced  to  depart.  In  one  instance, 
two  priests,  Laval  and  Caset,  after  enduring  a  series  of 
persecutions,  were  set  upon  by  the  natives,  maltreated, 
and  finally  carried  aboard  a  small  trading  schooner, 
which  eventually  put  them  ashore  at  Wallis  Island  —  a 
savage  place  —  some  two  thousand  miles  to  the 
westward. 

Now,  that  the  resident  English  missionaries  author- 
ised the  banishment  of  these  priests,  is  a  fact  undenied 
by  themselves.  I  was  also  repeatedly  informed,  that  by 
their  inflammatory  harangues  they  instigated  the  riots 
which  preceded  the  sailing  of  the  schooner.  At  all 
events,  it  is  certain  that  their  unbounded  influence  with 
the  natives  would  easily  have  enabled  them  to  prevent 
everything  that  took  place  on  this  occasion,  had  they 
felt  so  inclined. 

Melancholy  aj"such  an  example  of  intolerance  on  the 
part  of  Protestant  missionaries  must  appear,  it  is  not  the 
only  one,  and  by  no  means  the  most  flagrant,  which 
might  be  presented.  But  I  forbear  to  mention  any 
others ;  since  they  have  been  more  than  hinted  at  by  re- 
cent voyagers,  and  their  repetition  here  would,  perhaps, 
be  attended  with  no  good  effect.  Besides,  the  conduct 
of  the  Sandwich  Island  missionaries,  in  particular,  has 
latterly  much  amended  in  this  respect. 

The  treatment  of  the  two  priests  formed  the  princi- 
pal ground  (and  the  only  justifiable  one)  upon  which 
Du  Petit  Thouars  demanded  satisfaction ;  and  which 
subsequently  led  to  his  seizure  of  the  island.     In  addi- 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  FRENCH  AT  TAHITI.        139 

tion  to  other  things,  he  also  charged,  that  the  flag  of 
Merenhout,  the  consul,  had  been  repeatedly  insulted, 
and  the  property  of  a  certain  French  resident  violently 
appropriated  by  the  government.  In  the  latter  instance, 
the  natives  were  perfectly  in  the  right.  At  that  time, 
the  law  against  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirits  (every  now 
and  then  suspended  and  revived)  happened  to  be  in 
force ;  and  finding  a  large  quantity  on  the  premises  of 
Victor,  a  low,  knavish  adventurer  from  Marseilles,  the 
Tahitians  pronounced  it  forfeit. 

For  these,  and  similar  alleged  outrages,  a  large  pecu- 
niary restitution  was  demanded  (110,000),  which  there 
being  no  exchequer  to  supply,  the  island  was  forthwith 
seized,  under  cover  of  a  mock  treaty,  dictated  to  the 
chiefs  on  the  gun-deck  of  Du  Petit  Thouar's  frigate. 
But,  notwithstanding  this  formality,  there  now  seems 
little  doubt  that  the  downfall  of  the  Pomarees  was 
decided  upon  at  the  Tuilleries. 

After  establishing  the  Protectorate,  so  called,  the 
rear-admiral  sailed ;  leaving  M.  Bruat  governor,  assisted 
by  Reine  and  Carpegne,  civilians,  named  members  of 
the  council  of  government,  and  Merenhout,  the  consul, 
now  made  commissioner  royal.  No  soldiers,  however, 
were  landed,  until  several  months  afterward.  As  men, 
Reine  and  Carpegne  were  not  disliked  by  the  natives ; 
but  Bruat  and  Merenhout  they  bitterly  detested.  In 
several  interviews  with  the  poor  queen,  the  unfeeling 
governor  sought  to  terrify  her  into  compliance  with  his 
demands ;  clapping  his  hand  upon  his  sword,  shaking 
his  fist  in  her  face,  and  swearing  violently.  "  Oh,  king 
of  a  great  nation,"  said  Pomaree,  in  her  letter  to  Louis 
Philippe,  "  fetch  away  this  man ;  I  and  my  people  can- 
not endure  his  evil  doings.     He  is  a  shameless  man." 

Although  the  excitement  among  the  natives  did  not 


140  OMOO. 

wholly  subside  upon  the  rear-admiral's  departure,  no 
overt  act  of  violence  immediately  followed.  The  queen 
had  fled  to  Imeeo ;  and  the  dissensions  among  the 
chiefs,  together  with  the  ill-advised  conduct  of  the  mis- 
sionaries, prevented  a  union  upon  some  common  plan 
of  resistance.  But  the  great  body  of  the  people,  as 
well  as  their  queen,  confidently  relied  upon  the  speedy 
interposition  of  England  —  a  nation  bound  to  them  by 
many  ties,  and  which,  more  than  once,  had  solemnly 
guaranteed  their  independence. 

As  for  the  missionaries,  they  openly  defied  the  French 
governor,  childishly  predicting  fleets  and  armies  from 
Britain.  But  what  is  the  welfare  of  a  spot  like  Tahiti, 
to  the  mighty  interests  of  France  and  England  ?  There 
was  a  remonstrance  on  one  side,  and  a  reply  on  the 
other ;  and  there  the  matter  rested.  For  once  in  their 
brawling  lives,  St.  George  and  St.  Denis  were  hand  and 
glove ;  and  they  were  not  going  to  cross  sabres  about 
Tahiti. 

During  my  stay  upon  the  island,  so  far  as  I  could  see, 
there  was  little  to  denote  that  any  change  had  taken 
place  in  the  government.  Such  laws  as  they  had  were 
administered  the  same  as  ever;  the  missionaries  went 
about  unmolested,  and  comparative  tranquillity  every- 
where prevailed.  Nevertheless,  I  sometimes  heard  the 
natives  inveighing  against  the  French  (no  favourites, 
by  the  by,  throughout  Polynesia),  and  bitterly  regret- 
ting that  the  queen  had  not,  at  the  outset,  made  a 
stand. 

In  the  house  of  the  chief  Adea,  frequent  discussions 
took  place,  concerning  the  ability  of  the  island  to  cope 
with  the  French :  the  number  of  fighting  men  and  muskets 
among  the  natives  were  talked  of,  as  well  as  the  pro- 
priety of  fortifying  several  heights  overlooking  Papee- 


PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE  FRENCH  AT  TAHITI.        141 

tee.  Imputing  these  symptoms  to  the  mere  resentment 
of  a  recent  outrage,  and  not  to  any  determined  spirit  of 
resistance,  I  little  anticipated  the  gallant,  though  use- 
less warfare,  so  soon  to  follow  my  departure. 

At  a  period  subsequent  to  my  first  visit,  the  island, 
which  before  was  divided  into  nineteen  districts,  with  a 
native  chief  over  each,  in  capacity  of  governor  and 
judge,  was,  by  Bruat,  divided  into  four.  Over  these  he 
set  as  many  recreant  chiefs,  Kitoti,  Tati,  Utamai,  and 
Paraita ;  to  whom  he  paid  $1,000  each,  to  secure  their 
assistance  in  carrying  out  his  evil  designs. 

The  first  blood  shed,  in  any  regular  conflict,  was  at 
Mahanar,  upon  the  peninsula  of  Taraiboo.  The  fight 
originated  in  the  seizure  of  a  number  of  women  from 
the  shore,  by  men  belonging  to  one  of  the  French  ves- 
sels of  war.  In  this  affair,  the  islanders  fought  desper- 
ately, killing  about  fifty  of  the  enemy,  and  losing  ninety 
of  their  own  number.  The  French  sailors  and  marines, 
who,  at  the  time,  were  reported  to  be  infuriated  with 
liquor,  gave  no  quarter ;  and  the  survivors  only  saved 
themselves  by  fleeing  to  the  mountains.  Subsequently, 
the  battles  of  Hararparpi  and  Fararar  were  fought,  in 
which  the  invaders  met  with  indifferent  success. 

Shortly  after  the  engagement  at  Hararparpi,  three 
Frenchmen  were  waylaid  in  a  pass  of  the  valleys,  and 
murdered  by  the  incensed  natives.  One  was  Lafevre,  a 
notorious  scoundrel,  and  a  spy,  whom  Bruat  had  sent  to 
conduct  a  certain  Major  Fergus  (said  to  be  a  Pole),  to 
the  hiding-place  of  four  chiefs,  whom  the  governor 
wished  to  seize  and  execute.  This  circumstance  vio- 
lently inflamed  the  hostility  of  both  parties. 

About  this  time,  Kitoti,  a  depraved  chief,  and  the 
pliant  tool  of  Bruat,  was  induced  by  him  to  give  a  great 
feast  in  the  Vale  of  Paree,  to  which  all  his  countrymen 


142  omoo. 

were  invited.  The  governor's  object  was  to  gain  ovei 
all  he  could  to  his  interests  ;  he  supplied  an  abundance 
of  wine  and  brandy,  and  a  scene  of  bestial  intoxication 
was  the  natural  consequence.  Before  it  came  to  this, 
however,  several  speeches  were  made  by  the  islanders. 
One  of  these,  delivered  by  an  ancient  warrior,  who  had 
formerly  been  at  the  head  of  the  celebrated  Aeorai 
Society,  was  characteristic.  "  This  is  a  very  good  feast," 
said  the  reeling  old  man,  "  and  the  wine  also  is  very 
good;  but  you  evil-minded  Wee-Wees  (French),  and 
you  false-hearted  men  of  Tahiti,  are  all  very  bad." 

By  the  latest  accounts,  most  of  the  islanders  still 
refuse  to  submit  to  the  French;  and  what  turn  events 
may  hereafter  take  it  is  hard  to  predict.  At  any  rate, 
these  disorders  must  accelerate  the  final  extinction  of 
their  race. 

Along  with  the  few  officers  left  by  Du  Petit  Thouars, 
were  several  French  priests,  for  whose  unobstructed 
exertions  in  the  dissemination  of  their  faith,  the  strong- 
est guarantees  were  provided  by  an  article  of  the  treaty. 
But  no  one  was  bound  to  offer  them  facilities,  much  less 
a  luncheon,  the  first  day  they  went  ashore.  True,  they 
had  plenty  of  gold ;  but  to  the  natives  it  was  anathema 
—  taboo  —  and,  for  several  hours  and  some  odd  min- 
utes they  would  not  touch  it.  Emissaries  of  the  Pope 
and  the  devil,  as  the  strangers  were  considered  —  the 
smell  of  sulphur  hardly  yet  shaken  out  of  their  canoni- 
cals—  what  islander  would  venture  to  jeopardise  his 
soul,  and  call  down  a  blight  upon  his  bread-fruit,  by 
holding  any  intercourse  with  them?  That  morning  the 
priests  actually  picknicked  in  a  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees ; 
but,  before  night,  Christian  hospitality  —  in  exchange 
for  a  commercial  equivalent  of  hard  dollars  —  was  given 
them  in  an  adjoining  house. 


WE  RECEIVE  CALLS.  143 

Wanting  in  civility,  as  the  conduct  of  the  English 
missionaries  may  be  thought,  in  withholding  a  decent 
reception  to  these  persons,  the  latter  were  certainly  to 
blame  in  needlessly  placing  themselves  in  so  unpleasant 
a  predicament.  Under  far  better  auspices,  they  might 
have  settled  upon  some  one  of  the  thousand  unconverted 
isles  of  the  Pacific,  rather  than  have  forced  themselves 
thus  upon  a  people  already  professedly  Christians. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

WE  RECEIVE  CALLS  AT  THE  HOTEL  DE  CALABOOZA. 

Our  place  of  confinement  being  open  all  round,  and 
so  near  the  Broom  Road,  of  course  we  were  in  plain 
sight  of  everybody  passing ;  and,  therefore,  we  had  no 
lack  of  visitors  among  such  an  idle,  inquisitive  set  as 
the  Tahitians.  For  a  few  days,  they  were  coming  and 
going  continually ;  while  thus  ignobly  fast  by  the  foot, 
we  were  fain  to  give  passive  audience. 

During  this  period,  we  were  the  lions  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood ;  and,  no  doubt,  strangers  from  the  distant 
villages  were  taken  to  see  the  "  Karhowrees "  (white 
men),  in  the  same  way  that  countrymen,  in  a  city, 
are  gallanted  to  the  Zoological  Gardens. 

All  this  gave  us  a  fine  opportunity  of  making  obser- 
vations. I  was  painfully  struck  by  the  considerable 
number  of  sickly  or  deformed  persons  ;  undoubtedly 
made  so  by  a  virulent  complaint,  which,  under  native 
treatment,  almost  invariably  affects,  in  the  end,  the 
muscles  and  bones  of  the  body.     In  particular,  there  is 


144  omoo. 

a  distortion  of  the  back,  most  unsightly  to  behold, 
originating  in  a  horrible  form  of  the  malady. 

Although  this,  and  other  bodily  afflictions,  were  un- 
known before  the  discovery  of  the  islands  by  the  whites, 
there  are  several  cases  found  of  the  Fa-Fa,  or  elephan- 
tiasis —  a  native  disease,  which  seems  to  have  prevailed 
among  them  from  the  earliest  antiquity.  Affecting  the 
legs  and  feet  alone,  it  swells  them,  in  some  instances,  to 
the  girth  of  a  man's  body,  covering  the  skin  with  scales. 
It  might  be  supposed,  that  one  thus  afflicted  would  be 
incapable  of  walking ;  but,  to  all  appearance,  they  seem 
to  be  nearly  as  active  as  anybody ;  apparently  suffering 
no  pain,  and  bearing  the  calamity  with  a  degree  of  cheer- 
fulness truly  marvellous. 

The  Fa-Fa  is  very  gradual  in  its  approaches,  and 
years  elapse  before  the  limb  is  fully  swollen.  Its  origin 
is  ascribed  by  the  natives  to  various  causes :  but  the 
general  impression  seems  to  be,  that  it  arises  in  most 
cases  from  the  eating  of  unripe  bread-fruit  and  Indian 
turnip.  So  far  as  I  could  find  out,  it  is  not  hereditary. 
In  no  stage  do  they  attempt  a  cure  ;  the  complaint  being 
held  incurable. 

Speaking  of  the  Fa-Fa,  reminds  me  of  a  poor  fellow, 
a  sailor,  whom  I  afterward  saw  at  Roorootoo,  a  lone 
island,  some  two  days'  sail  from  Tahiti. 

The  island  is  very  small,  and  its  inhabitants  nearly 
extinct.  We  sent  a  boat  off  to  see  whether  any  yams 
were  to  be  had,  as  formerly;  the  yams  of  Roorootoo 
were  as  famous  among  the  islands  round  about  as  Sicily 
oranges  in  the  Mediterranean.  Going  ashore,  to  my 
surprise,  I  was  accosted,  near  a  little  shanty  of  a  church, 
by  a  white  man,  who  limped  forth  from  a  wretched  hut. 
His  hair  and  beard  were  unshorn,  his  face  deadly  pale 
and  haggard,  and  one  limb  swelled  with  the  Fa-Fa  to 


WE  RECEIVE  CALLS.  145 

an  incredible  bigness.  This  was  the  first  instance  of  a 
foreigner  suffering  from  it  that  I  had  ever  seen  or  heard 
of ;  and  the  spectacle  shocked  me  accordingly. 

He  had  been  there  for  years.  From  the  first  symp- 
toms, he  could  not  believe  his  complaint  to  be  what  it 
really  was,  and  trusted  it  would  soon  disappear.  But 
when  it  became  plain  that  his  only  chance  for  recovery 
was  a  speedy  change  of  climate,  no  ship  would  receive 
him  as  a  sailor :  to  think  of  being  taken  as  a  passenger, 
was  idle.  This  speaks  little  for  the  humanity  of  sea 
captains  ;  but  the  truth  is,  that  those  in  the  Pacific  have 
little  enough  of  the  virtue ;  and,  nowadays,  when  so 
many  charitable  appeals  are  made  to  them,  they  have 
become  callous. 

I  pitied  the  poor  fellow  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart ; 
but  nothing  could  I  do,  as  our  captain  was  inexorable. 
"  Why,"  said  he,  "  here  we  are  —  started  on  a  six 
months'  cruise  —  I  can't  put  back ;  and  he  is  better 
off  on  the  island  than  at  sea.  So  on  Roorootoo  he  must 
die."     And  probably  he  did. 

I  afterward  heard  of  this  melancholy  object,  from 
two  seamen.  His  attempts  to  leave  were  still  unavail- 
ing, and  his  hard  fate  was  fast  closing  in. 

Notwithstanding  the  physical  degeneracy  of  the 
Tahitians  as  a  people,  among  the  chiefs,  individuals 
of  personable  figures  are  still  frequently  met  with ; 
and,  occasionally,  majestic-looking  men,  and  diminutive 
women  as  lovely  as  the  nymphs  who,  nearly  a  cen- 
tury ago,  swam  round  the  ships  of  Wallis.  In  these 
instances,  Tahitian  beauty  is  quite  as  seducing  as  it 
proved  to  the  crew  of  the  Bounty;  the  young  girls 
being  just  such  creatures  as  a  poet  would  picture  in  the 
tropics  —  soft,  plump,  and  dreamy-eyed. 

The  natural  complexion  of  both  sexes  is  quite  light ; 


146  omoo. 

but  the  males  appear  much  darker,  from  their  exposure 
to  the  sun.  A  dark  complexion,  however,  in  a  man,  is 
highly  esteemed,  as  indicating  strength  of  both  body 
and  soul.  Hence  there  is  a  saying  of  great  antiquity 
among  them, 

"If  dark  the  cheek  of  the  mother, 
The  son  will  sound  the  war-conch; 
If  strong  her  frame,  he  will  give  laws." 

With  this  idea  of  manliness,  no  wonder  the  Tahitians 
regard  all  pale  and  tepid-looking  Europeans  as  weak 
and  feminine ;  whereas  a  sailor,  with  a  cheek  like  the 
breast  of  a  roast  turkey,  is  held  a  lad  of  brawn :  to  use 
their  own  phrase,  a  "  taata  tona,"  or  man  of  bones. 

Speaking  of  bones,  recalls  an  ugly  custom  of  theirs, 
now  obsolete  —  that  of  making  fish-hooks  and  gimlets 
out  of  those  of  their  enemies.  This  beats  the  Scandi- 
navians turning  people's  skulls  into  cups  and  saucers. 

But  to  return  to  the  Calabooza  Beretanee.  Immense 
was  the  interest  we  excited  among  the  throngs  that 
called  there  ;  they  would  stand  talking  about  us  by  the 
hour,  growing  most  unnecessarily  excited  too,  and  dan- 
cing up  and  down  with  all  the  vivacity  of  their  race. 
They  invariably  sided  with  us ;  flying  out  against  the 
consul,  and  denouncing  him  as  "  Ita  maitai  nuee,"  or 
very  bad  exceedingly.  They  must  have  borne  him  some 
grudge  or  other. 

Nor  were  the  women,  sweet  souls,  at  all  backward  in 
visiting.  Indeed,  they  manifested  even  more  interest 
than  the  men ;  gazing  at  us  with  eyes  full  of  a  thousand 
meanings,  and  conversing  with  marvellous  rapidity. 
But,  alas !  inquisitive  though  they  were,  and,  doubtless, 
taking  some  passing  compassion  on  us,  there  was  little 
real  feeling  in  them  after  all,  and  still  less  sentimental 


WE  RECEIVE  CALLS.  147 

sympathy.  Many  of  them  laughed  outright  at  us,  not- 
ing only  what  was  ridiculous  in  our  plight. 

I  think  it  was  the  second  day  of  our  confinement, 
that  a  wild,  beautiful  girl  burst  into  the  Calabooza,  and 
throwing  herself  into  an  arch  attitude,  stood  afar  off, 
and  gazed  at  us.  She  was  a  heartless  one  :  —  tickled  to 
death  with  Black  Dan's  nursing  his  chafed  ankle,  and 
indulging  in  certain  moral  reflections  on  the  consul  and 
Captain  Guy.  After  laughing  her  fill  at  him,  she  con- 
descended to  notice  the  rest ;  glancing  from  one  to 
another,  in  the  most  methodical  and  provoking  manner 
imaginable.  Whenever  anything  struck  her  comically, 
you  saw  it  like  a  flash  —  her  finger  levelled  instanta- 
neously, and,  flinging  herself  back,  she  gave  loose  to 
strange,  hollow  little^notea  of  laughter  that  sounded 
like  the  bass^of^amusic-box,  playing  aHv^iy^air  with 
the  lid 

Now,  I  knew  not  that  there  was  anything  in  my  own 
appearance  calculated  to  disarm  ridicule ;  and,  indeed, 
to  have  looked  at  all  heroic,  under  the  circumstances, 
would  have  been  rather  difficult.  Still,  I  could  notjalit 
feel  exceedingly  annoyed  at  the  prospect^o^oeing 
screamed  at  in  turn,  by  this  mischievous  young  witch, 
even  though  she  were  but  an  islander.  And,  to  tell  a 
secret,  her  beauty  had  something  to  do  with  this  sort  of 
feeling;  and,  pinioned  as  I  was,  to  a  log,  and  clad  most 
unbecomingly,  I  began  to  grow  sentimental. 

Ere  her  glance  fell  upon  me,  I  had,  unconsciously, 
thrown  myself  into  the  most  graceful  attitude  I  could 
assume,  leaned  my  head  upon  my  hand,  and  summoned 
up  as  abstracted  an  expression  as  possible.  Though  my 
face  was  averted,  I  soon  felt  it  flush,  and  knew  that  the 
glance  was  on  me :  deeper  and  deeper  grew  the  flush, 
and  not  a  sound  of  laughter. 


148  omoo. 

Delicious  thought !  she  was  moved  at  the  sight  of  me. 
I  could  stand  it  no  longer,  but  started  up.  Lo  !  there 
she  was  ;  her  great  hazel  eyes  rounding  and  rounding  in 
her  head,  like  two  stars,  her  whole  frame  in  a  merry 
quiver,  and  an  expression  about  the  mouth  that  was 
sudden  and  violent  death  to  anything  like  sentiment. 

The  next  moment  she  spun  round,  and,  bursting  from 
peal  to  peal  of  laughter,  went  racing  out  of  the  Cala- 
booza ;  and,  in  mercy  to  me,  never  returned. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

LIFE  AT  THE  CALABOOZA. 

A  few  days  passed;  and,  at  last,  our  docility  was 
rewarded  by  some  indulgence  on  the  part  of  Captain 
Bob. 

He  allowed  the  whole  party  to  be  at  large  during  the 
day  ;  only  enjoining  upon  us  ahvays  to  keep  within  hail. 
This,  to  be  sure,  was  in  positive  disobedience  to  Wilson's 
orders  ;  and  so,  care  had  to  be  taken  that  he  should  not 
hear  of  it.  There  was  little  fear  of  the  natives  telling 
him ;  but  strangers  travelling  the  Broom  Road  might. 
By  way  of  precaution,  boys  were  stationed  as  scouts 
along  the  road.  At  sight  of  a  white  man,  they  sounded 
the  alarm ;  when  we  all  made  for  our  respective  holes 
(the  stocks  being  purposely  left  open)  :  the  beam  then 
descended,  and  we  were  prisoners.  As  soon  as  the  trav- 
eller was  out  of  sight,  of  course  we  were  liberated. 

Notwithstanding  the  regular  supply  of  food  which  we 
obtained  from  Captain  Bob  and  his  friends,  it  was  so 
small,  that  we  often  felt  most  intolerably  hungry.     We 


LIFE  AT  THE  CALABOOZA.  149 

could  not  blame  them  for  not  bringing  us  more,  for  we 
soon  became  aware  that  they  had  to  pinch  themselves, 
in  order  to  give  us  what  they  did  ;  beside,  they  received 
nothing  for  their  kindness  but  the  daily  bucket  of  bread. 

Among  a  people  like  the  Tahitians,  what  we  call 
"hard  times"  can  only  be  experienced  in  a  scarcity  of 
edibles ;  yet,  so  destitute  are  many  of  the  common  peo- 
ple, that  this  most  distressing  consequence  of  civilisation 
may  be  said,  with  them,  to  be  ever  present.  To  be  sure, 
the  natives  about  the  Calabooza,  had  abundance  of  limes 
and  oranges ;  but  what  were  these  good  for,  except  to 
impart  a  still  keener  edge  to  appetites  which  there  was 
so  little  else  to  gratify  ?  During  the  height  of  the  bread- 
fruit season,  they  fare  better;  but,  at  other  times,  the 
demands  of  the  shipping  exhaust  the  uncultivated 
resources  of  the  island ;  and  the  lands  being  mostly 
owned  by  the  chiefs,  the  inferior  orders  have  to  suffer 
for  their  cupidity.  Deprived  of  their  nets,  many  of  them 
would  starve. 

As  Captain  Bob  insensibly  remitted  his  watchfulness, 
and  we  began  to  stroll  farther  and  farther  from  the 
Calabooza,  we  managed  by  a  systematic  foraging  upon 
the  country  round  about,  to  make  up  for  some  of  our 
deficiencies.  And  fortunate  it  was,  that  the  houses  of 
the  wealthier  natives  were  just  as  open  to  us  as  those 
of  the  most  destitute :  we  were  treated  as  kindly  in  one 
as  the  other. 

Once  in  a  while  we  came  in  at  the  death  of  a  chief's 
pig ;  the  noise  of  whose  slaughtering  was  generally  to 
be  heard  at  a  great  distance.  An  occasion  like  this 
gathers  the  neighbours  together,  and  they  have  a  bit  of  a 
feast,  where  a  stranger  is  always  welcome.  A  good 
loud  squeal,  therefore,  was  music  in  our  ears.  It  showed 
something  going  on  in  that  direction. 


150  OMOO. 

Breaking  in  upon  the  party  tumultuously,  as  we  did, 
we  always  created  a  sensation.  Sometimes,  we  found 
the  animal  still  alive  and  struggling ;  in  which  case,  it 
was  generally  dropped  at  our  approach.  To  provide  for 
these  emergencies,  Flash  Jack  generally  repaired  to  the 
scene  of  operations,  with  a  sheath  knife  between  his 
teeth,  and  a  club  in  his  hand.  Others  were  exceedingly 
officious  in  singeing  off  the  bristles,  and  disembowelling. 
Doctor  Long  Ghost  and  myself,  however,  never  meddled 
with  these  preliminaries,  but  came  to  the  feast  itself, 
with  unimpaired  energies. 

Like  all  lank  men,  my  long  friend  had  an  appetite  of 
his  own.  Others  occasionally  went  about  seeking  what 
they  might  devour,  but  he  was  always  on  the  alert. 

He  had  an  ingenious  way  of  obviating  an  inconven- 
ience which  we  all  experienced  at  times.  The  islanders 
seldom  use  salt  with  their  food;  so  he  begged  Rope 
Yarn  to  bring  him  some  from  the  ship;  also  a  little 
pepper,  if  he  could ;  which,  accordingly,  was  done. 
This  he  placed  in  a  small  leather  wallet  —  a  "  monkey 
bag  "  (so  called  by  sailors)  —  usually  worn  as  a  purse 
about  the  neck. 

"  In  my  poor  opinion,"  said  Long  Ghost,  as  he  tucked 
the  wallet  out  of  sight,  "  it  behooves  a  stranger  in 
Tahiti  to  have  a  knife  in  readiness,  and  his  caster 
slung." 


VISIT  FROM  AN  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE.  151 

CHAPTER   XXXV. 

VISIT  FROM   AN   OLD   ACQUAINTANCE. 

We  had  not  been  many  days  ashore,  when  Doctor 
Johnson  was  espied  coming  along  the  Broom  Road. 

We  had  heard  that  he  meditated  a  visit,  and  suspected 
what  he  was  after.  Being  upon  the  consul's  hands,  all 
our  expenses  were  of  course  payable  by  him  in  his  official 
capacity ;  and,  therefore,  as  a  friend  of  Wilson,  and  sure 
of  good  pay,  the  shore  doctor  had  some  idea  of  allowing 
us  to  run  up  a  bill  with  him.  True,  it  was  rather  awk- 
ward to  ask  us  to  take  medicines,  which,  on  board  the 
ship,  he  told  us  were  not  needed.  However,  he  resolved 
to  put  a  bold  face  on  the  matter,  and  give  us  a  call. 

His  approach  was  announced  by  one  of  the  scouts, 
upon  which  some  one  suggested  that  we  should  let  him 
enter,  and  then  put  him  in  the  stocks.  But  Long  Ghost 
proposed  better  sport.  What  it  was,  we  shall  presently 
see. 

Very  bland  and  amiable,  Dr.  Johnson  advanced,  and, 
resting  his  cane  on  the  stocks,  glanced  to  right  and  left, 
as  we  lay  before  him.  "  Well,  my  lads,"  he  began,  "how 
do  you  find  yourselves,  to-day  ?  *' 

Looking  very  demure,  the  men  made  some  rejoinder  ; 
and  he  went  on. 

"  Those  poor  fellows  I  saw  the  other  day  —  the  sick,  I 
mean  —  how  are  they  ? "  and  he  scrutinized  the  com- 
pany. At  last,  he  singled  out  one  who  was  assuming  a 
most  unearthly  appearance,  and  remarked,  that  he  looked 
as  if  he  were  extremely  ill.  "  Yes,"  said  the  sailor 
dolefully,  "  I'm  af eared,  doctor,  I'll  soon  be  losing  the 


152  omoo. 

number  of  my  mess  !  "  (a  sea  phrase,  for  departing  this 
life),  and  he  closed  his  eyes,  and  moaned. 

"  What  does  he  say  ?  "  said  Johnson,  turning  round 
eagerly. 

"  Why,"  exclaimed  Flash  Jack,  who  volunteered  as 
interpreter,  "  he  means  he's  going  to  croak  "  (die). 

"  Croak!  and  what  does  that  mean,  applied  to  a 
patient  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  I  understand,"  said  he,  when  the  word  was 
explained ;  and  he  stepped  over  the  stocks,  and  felt  the 
man's  pulse. 

"  What's  his  name  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  this  time  to 
old  Navy  Bob. 

"  We  calls  him  Jingling  Joe,"  replied  that  worthy. 

"  Well,  then,  men,  you  must  take  good  care  of  poor 
Joseph;  and  I  will  send  him  a  powder,  which  must  be 
taken  according  to  the  directions.  Some  of  you  know 
how  to  read,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  That  ere  young  cove  does,"  replied  Bob,  pointing 
toward  the  place  where  I  lay,  as  if  he  were  directing 
attention  to  a  sail  at  sea. 

After  examining  the  rest  —  some  of  whom  were  really 
invalids,  but  convalescent,  and  others  only  pretending 
to  be  labouring  under  divers  maladies,  Johnson  turned 
round,  and  addressed  the  party. 

"  Men,"  said  he,  "  if  any  more  of  you  are  ailing,  speak 
up  and  let  me  know.  By  order  of  the  consul,  I'm  to 
call  every  day ;  so  if  any  of  you  are  at  all  sick,  it's  my 
duty  to  prescribe  for  you.  This  sudden  change  from 
ship  fare  to  shore  living,  plays  the  deuce  with  you  sail- 
ors ;  so  be  cautious  about  eating  fruit.  Good-day  !  I'll 
send  }'ou  the  medicines  the  first  thing  in  the  morning." 

Now,  I  am  inclined  to  suspect,  that  with  all  his  want 
of  understanding,  Johnson  must   have   had  some  idea 


VISIT  FROM  AN  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE.  153 

that  we  were  quizzing  him.  Still,  that  was  nothing,  so 
long  as  it  answered  his  purpose ;  and  therefore,  if  he  did 
see  through  us,  he  never  showed  it. 

Sure  enough,  at  the  time  appointed,  along  came  a 
native  lad  with  a  small  basket  of  cocoa-nut  stalks,  filled 
with  powders,  pill-boxes,  and  vials,  each  with  names  and 
directions  written  in  a  large,  round  hand.  The  sailors, 
one  and  all,  made  a  snatch  at  the  collection,  under  the 
strange  impression  that  some  of  the  vials  were  seasoned 
with  spirits.  But,  asserting  his  privilege  as  physician, 
to  the  first  reading  of  the  labels,  Doctor  Long  Ghost  was 
at  last  permitted  to  take  possession  of  the  basket. 

The  first  thing  lighted  upon  was  a  large  vial,  labelled 
—  "  For  William  —  rub  well  in." 

This  vial  certainly  had  a  spirituous  smell ;  and  upon 
handing  it  to  the  patient,  he  made  a  summary  inter- 
nal application  of  its  contents.  The  doctor  looked 
aghast. 

There  was  now  a  mighty  commotion.  Powders  and 
pills  were  voted  mere  drugs  in  the  market,  and  the 
holders  of  vials  were  pronounced  lucky  dogs.  Johnson 
must  have  known  enough  of  sailors  to  make  some  of  his 
medicines  palatable  —  this,  at  least,  Long  Ghost  sus- 
pected. Certain  it  was,  every  one  took  to  the  vials ;  if 
at  all  spicy,  directions  were  unheeded,  their  contents  all 
going  one  road. 

The  largest  one  of  all,  quite  a  bottle  indeed,  and  hav- 
ing a  sort  of  burnt  brandy  odour,  was  labelled  —  "  For 
Daniel ;  drink  freely,  and  until  relieved."  This,  Black 
Dan  proceeded  to  do ;  and  would  have  made  an  end  of 
of  it  at  once,  had  not  the  bottle,  after  a  hard  struggle, 
been  snatched  from  his  hands,  and  passed  round,  like  a 
jovial  decanter.  The  old  tar  had  complained  of  the 
effects  of  an  immoderate  eating  of  fruit. 


154  omoo. 

Upon  calling  the  following  morning,  our  physician 
found  his  precious  row  of  patients  reclining  behind  the 
stocks,  and  doing  "  as  well  as  could  be  expected." 

But  the  pills  and  powders  were  found  to  have  been 
perfectly  inactive :  probably  because  none  had  been 
taken.  To  make  them  efficacious,  it  was  suggested 
that,  for  the  future,  a  bottle  of  Pisco  should  be  sent 
along  with  them.  According  to  Flash  Jack's  notions, 
unmitigated  medical  compounds  were  but  dry  stuff  at 
the  best,  and  needed  something  good  to  wash  them 
down. 

Thus  far,  our  own  M.D.,  Doctor  Long  Ghost,  after 
starting  the  frolic,  had  taken  no  f urtlier  part  in  it ;  but 
on  the  physician's  third  visit,  he  took  him  to  one  side, 
and  had  a  private  confabulation.  What  it  was,  exactly, 
we  could  not  tell ;  but  from  certain  illustrative  signs 
and  gestures,  I  fancied  that  he  was  describing  the  symp- 
toms of  some  mysterious  disorganisation  of  the  vitals, 
which  must  have  come  on  within  the  hour.  Assisted 
by  his  familiarity  with  medical  terms,  he  seemed  to  pro- 
duce a  marked  impression.  At  last,  Johnson  went  his 
way,  promising  aloud  that  he  would  send  Long  Ghost 
what  he  desired. 

When  the  medicine  boy  came  along  the  following 
morning,  the  doctor  was  the  first  to  accost  him,  walking 
off  with  a  small  purple  vial.  This  time,  there  was  little 
else  in  the  basket  but  a  case  bottle  of  the  burnt  brandy 
cordial,  which,  after  much  debate,  was  finally  disposed 
of  by  some  one  pouring  the  contents,  little  by  little,  into 
the  half  of  a  cocoa-nut  shell,  and  so  giving  all  who  de- 
sired, a  glass.  No  further  medicinal  cheer  remaining, 
the  men  dispersed. 

An  hour  or  two  passed,  when  Flash  Jack  directed 
attention  to  my  long  friend,  who,  since  the   medicine 


VISIT  FROM  AN  OLD  ACQUAINTANCE.  155 

boy  left,  had  not  been  noticed  till  now.  With  eyes 
closed,  he  was  lying  behind  the  stocks,  and  Jack  was 
lifting  his  arm  and  letting  it  fall  as  if  life  were  extinct. 
On  running  up  with  the  rest,  I  at  once  connected  the 
phenomenon  with  the  mysterious  vial.  Searching  his 
pocket,  I  found  it,  and  holding  it  up,  it  proved  to  be 
laudanum.  Flash  Jack,  snatching  it  from  my  hand  in 
a  rapture,  quickly  informed  all  present  what  it  was ;  and 
with  much  glee,  proposed  a  nap  for  the  company.  Some 
of  them  not  comprehending  him  exactly,  the  apparently 
defunct  Long  Ghost  — who  lay  so  still  that  I  a  little 
suspected  the  genuineness  of  his  sleep  —  was  rolled 
about  as  an  illustration  of  the  virtues  of  the  vial's 
contents.  The  idea  tickled  everybody  mightily;  and 
throwing  themselves  down,  the  magic  draught  was 
passed  from  hand  to  hand.  Thinking  that,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  they  must  at  once  become  insensible,  each 
man,  upon  taking  his  sip,  fell  back,  and  closed  his 
yes. 

There  was  little  fear  of  the  result,  since  the  narcotic 
was  equally  distributed.  But,  curious  to  see  how  it 
would  operate,  I  raised  myself  gently  after  a  while,  and 
looked  around.  It  was  about  noon,  and  perfectly  still ; 
and  as  we  all  daily  took  the  siesta,  I  was  not  much  sur- 
prised to  find  every  one  quiet.  Still,  in  one  or  two 
instances,  I  thought  I  detected  a  little  peeping. 

Presently,  I  heard  a  footstep,  and  saw  Dr.  Johnson 
approaching. 

And  perplexed  enough  did  he  look  at  the  sight  of  his 
prostrate  file  of  patients,  plunged  apparently  in  such 
unaccountable  slumbers. 

"  Daniel,"  he  cried,  at  last,  punching  in  the  side  with 
his  cane,  the  individual  thus  designated  —  "  Daniel,  my 
good  fellow,  get  up!  do  you  bear ?  " 


156  omoo. 

But  Black  Dan  was  immovable ;  and  he  poked  the 
next  sleeper. 

"  Joseph,  Joseph !  come,  wake  up !  it's  me,  Doctor 
Johnson." 

But  Jingling  Joe,  with  mouth  open,  and  eyes  shut, 
was  not  to  be  started. 

"  Bless  my  soul !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  uplifted  hands 
and  cane,  "what's  got  into  'em?  I  say,  men"  —  he 
shouted,  running  up  and  down  —  "  come  to  life,  men ! 
what  under  the  sun's  the  matter  with  you  ? "  and  he 
struck  the  stocks,  and  bawled  with  increased  vigour. 

At  last  he  paused,  folded  his  hands  over  the  head  of 
his  cane,  and  steadfastly  gazed  upon  us.  The  notes  of 
the  nasal  orchestra  were  rising  and  falling  upon  his  ear, 
and  a  new  idea  suggested  itself. 

"  Yes,  yes ;  the  rascals  must  have  been  getting  booz}^. 
Well,  it's  none  of  my  business  —  I'll  be  off;"  and  off 
he  went. 

No  sooner  was  he  out  of  sight,  than  nearly  all  started 
to  their  feet,  and  a  hearty  laugh  ensued. 

Like  myself,  most  of  them  had  been  watching  the 
event  from  under  a  sly  eyelid.  By  this  time,  too, 
Doctor  Long  Ghost  was  as  wide  awake  as  anybody. 
What  were  his  reasons  for  taking  laudanum, — if,  indeed, 
he  took  any  whatever, — is  best  known  to  himself;  and, 
as  it  is  neither  mine  nor  the  reader's  business,  we  will 
say  no  more  about  it. 


BEFORE  THE  CONSUL  AND  CAPTAIN.  157 

CHAPTER  XXXVL 

WE  ABE  CARRIED  BEFORE  THE  CONSUL  AND  CAPTAIN. 

We  had  been  inmates  of  the  Calabooza  Beretanee 
about  two  weeks,  when  one  morning,  Captain  Bob, 
coming  from  the  bath,  in  a  state  of  utter  nudity,  brought 
into  the  building  an  armful  of  old  tappa,  and  began  to 
dress  to  go  out. 

The  operation  was  quite  simple.  The  tappa  —  of  the 
coarsest  kind  —  was  in  one  long,  heavy  piece ;  and, 
fastening  one  end  to  a  column  of  hibiscus  wood,  sup- 
porting the  Calabooza,  he  went  off  a  few  paces,  and 
putting  the  other  about  his  waist,  wound  himself  right 
up  to  the  post.  This  unique  costume,  in  rotundity 
something  like  a  farthingale,  added  immensely  to  his 
large  bulk ;  so  much  so,  that  he  fairly  waddled  in  his 
gait.  But  he  was  only  adhering  to  the  fashion  of  his 
fathers ;  for,  in  the  olden  time,  the  kipee,  or  big  girdle, 
was  quite  the  mode  for  both  sexes.  Bob,  despising 
recent  innovations,  still  clung  to  it.  He  was  a  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school  —  one  of  the  last  of  the  Kihees. 

He  now  told  us,  that  he  had  orders  to  take  us  before 
the  consul.  Nothing  loth,  we  formed  in  procession ; 
and,  with  the  old  man  at  our  head,  sighing  and  labour- 
ing like  an  engine,  and  flanked  by  a  guard  of  some 
twenty  natives,  we  started  for  the  village. 

Arrived  at  the  consular  office,  we  found  Wilson  there, 
and  four  or  five  Europeans,  seated  in  a  row  facing  us ; 
probably  with  the  view  of  presenting  as  judicial  an 
appearance  as  possible. 

On  one  side  was  a  couch,  where  Captain  Guy  reclined. 


158  omoo. 

He  looked  convalescent ;  and,  as  we  found  out,  intended 
soon  to  go  aboard  his  ship.  He  said  nothing,  but  left 
every  thing  to  the  consul. 

The  latter  now  rose,  and  drawing  forth  a  paper  from 
a  large  roll,  tied  with  red  tape,  commenced  reading 
aloud. 

It  purported  to  be,  "The  affidavit  of  John  Jermin, 
first  officer  of  the  British  Colonial  barque,  Julia ;  Guy, 
Master ; "  and  proved  to  be  a  long  statement  of  matters, 
from  the  time  of  leaving  Sydney,  down  to  our  arrival  in 
the  harbour.  Though  artfully  drawn  up,  so  as  to  bear 
hard  against  every  one  of  us,  it  was  pretty  correct  in  the 
details;  excepting,  that  it  was  wholly  silent  as  to  the 
manifold  derelictions  of  the  mate  himself  —  a  fact  which 
imparted  unusual  significance  to  the  concluding  sen- 
tence, "  And  furthermore,  this  deponent  sayeth  not." 

No  comments  were  made,  although  we  all  looked 
round  for  the  mate,  to  see  whether  it  was  possible  that 
he  would  have  authorized  this  use  of  his  name.  But  he 
was  not  present. 

The  next  document  produced  was  the  deposition  of 
the  captain  himself.  As  on  all  other  occasions,  however, 
he  had  very  little  to  say  for  himself,  and  it  was  soon  set 
aside. 

The  third  affidavit  was  that  of  the  seamen  remaining 
aboard  the  vessel,  including  the  traitor  Bungs,  who,  it 
seemed,  had  turned  ship's  evidence.  It  was  an  atrocious 
piece  of  exaggeration,  from  beginning  to  end ;  and  those 
who  signed  it  could  not  have  known  what  they  were 
about.  Certainly  Wymontoo  did  not,  though  his  mark 
was  there.  In  vain  the  consul  commanded  silence  dur- 
ing the  reading  of  this  paper ;  comments  were  shouted 
out  upon  every  paragraph. 

The  affidavits  read,  Wilson,  who,  all  the  while,  looked 


BEFORE  THE  CONSUL  AND  CAPTAIN.  159 

as  stiff  as  a  poker,  solemnly  drew  forth  the  ship's  articles 
from  their  tin  case.  This  document  was  a  discoloured, 
musty,  bilious-looking  affair,  and  hard  to  read.  When 
finished,  the  consul  held  it  up ;  and,  pointing  to  the 
marks  of  the  ship's  company,  at  the  bottom,  asked  us, 
one  by  one,  whether  we  acknowledged  the  same  for  our 
own. 

"What's  the  use  of  asking  that?"  said  Black  Dan. 
"  Captain  Guy  there  knows  as  well  as  we  they  are." 

"  Silence,  sir ! "  said  Wilson,  who,  intending  to  pro- 
duce a  suitable  impression  by  this  ridiculous  parade,  was 
not  a  little  mortified  by  the  old  sailor's  bluntness. 

A  pause  of  a  few  moments  now  ensued ;  during  which 
the  bench  of  judges  communed  with  Captain  Guy,  in  a 
low  tone,  and  the  sailors  canvassed  the  motives  of  the 
consul  in  having  the  affidavits  taken. 

The  general  idea  seemed  to  be,  that  it  was  done  with 
a  view  of  "  bouncing,"  or  frightening  us  into  submission. 
Such  proved  to  be  the  case  ;  for  Wilson,  rising  to  his  feet 
again,  addressed  us  as  follows :  — 

"  You  see,  men,  that  every  preparation  has  been  made 
to  send  you  to  Sydney  for  trial.  The  Rosa  (a  small 
Australian  schooner,  lying  in  the  harbour)  will  sail  for 
that  place  in  the  course  of  ten  days,  at  farthest.  The 
Julia  sails  on  a  cruise  this  day  week.  Do  you  still 
refuse  duty  ?  " 

We  did. 

Hereupon  the  consul  and  captain  exchanged  glances ; 
and  the  latter  looked  bitterly  disappointed. 

Presently  I  noticed  Guy's  eye  upon  me ;  and,  for  the 
first  time,  he  spoke,  and  told  me  to  come  near.  I  stepped 
forward. 

"  Was  it  not  you  that  was  taken  off  the  island?" 

"  It  was." 


160  OMOO. 

"  It  is  you,  then,  who  owe  your  life  to  my  humanity. 
Yet  this  is  the  gratitude  of  a  sailor,  Mr.  Wilson ! " 

"  Not  so,  sir."  And  I  at  once  gave  him  to  understand, 
that  I  was  perfectly  acquainted  with  his  motives  in  send- 
ing a  boat  into  the  bay ;  his  crew  was  reduced,  and  he 
merely  wished  to  procure  the  sailor  whom  he  expected 
to  find  there.  The  ship  was  the  means  of  my  deliver- 
ance, and  no  thanks  to  the  benevolence  of  its  cap- 
tain. 

Doctor  Long  Ghost,  also,  had  a  word  to  say.  In  two 
masterly  sentences  he  summed  up  Captain  Guy's  char- 
acter, to  the  complete  satisfaction  of  every  seaman 
present. 

Matters  were  now  growing  serious ;  especially  as  the 
sailors  became  riotous,  and  talked  about  taking  the 
consul  and  the  captain  back  to  the  Calabooza  with 
them. 

The  other  judges  fidgeted,  and  loudly  commanded 
silence.  It  was  at  length  restored ;  when  Wilson,  for 
the  last  time  addressing  us,  said  something  more  about 
the  Rosa  and  Sydney,  and  concluded  by  reminding  us, 
that  a  week  would  elapse  ere  the  Julia  sailed. 

Leaving  these  hints  to  operate  for  themselves,  he  dis- 
missed the  party,  ordering  Captain  Bob  and  his  friends 
to  escort  us  back  whence  we  came. 


FRENCH  PRIESTS  PAT  THEIR  RESPECTS.        161 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE  FRENCH  PRIESTS   PAY  THEIR   RESPECTS. 

A  day  or  two  after  the  events  just  related,  we  were 
lounging  in  the  Calabooza  Beretanee,  when  we  were 
honoured  by  a  visit  from  three  of  the  French  priests  ; 
and  as  about  the  only  notice  ever  taken  of  us  by  the 
English  missionaries  was  their  leaving  their  cards  for  us 
in  the  shape  of  a  package  of  tracts,  we  could  not  help 
thinking,  that  the  Frenchmen,  in  making  a  personal  call, 
were  at  least  much  better  bred. 

By  this  time  they  had  settled  themselves  down  quite 
near  our  habitation.  A  pleasant  little  stroll  down  the 
Broom  Road,  and  a  rustic  cross  peeped  through  the 
trees ;  and  soon  you  came  to  as  charming  a  place  as  one 
would  wish  to  see :  a  soft  knoll,  planted  with  old  bread- 
fruit trees ;  in  front,  a  savannah,  sloping  to  a  grove  of 
palms,  and,  between  these,  glimpses  of  blue  sunny  waves. 

On  the  summit  of  the  knoll  was  a  rude  chapel  of 
bamboos ;  quite  small,  and  surmounted  by  the  cross. 
Between  the  canes,  at  nightfall,  the  natives  stole  peeps 
at  a  small  portable  altar ;  a  crucifix  to  correspond,  and 
gilded  candlesticks  and  censers.  Their  curiosity  carried 
them  no  further;  nothing  could  induce  them  to  worship 
there.  Such  queer  ideas  as  they  entertained  of  the 
hated  strangers  !  Masses  and  chants  were  nothing  more 
than  evil  spells.  As  for  the  priests  themselves,  they 
were  no  better  than  diabolical  sorcerers ;  like  those  who, 
in  old  times,  terrified  their  fathers. 

Close  by  the  chapel,  was  a  range  of  native  houses, 
rented  from  a  chief,  and  handsomely  furnished.     Here 


162  omoo. 

lived  the  priests,  and  very  comfortably  too.  They  looked 
sanctimonious  enough  abroad,  but  that  went  for  nothing : 
since  at  home,  in  their  retreat,  they  were  a  club  of  Friar 
Tucks ;  holding  priestly  wassail  over  many  a  good  cup 
of  red  brandy,  and  rising  late  in  the  morning. 

Pity  it  was  they  couldn't  marry  —  pity  for  the  ladies 
of  the  island,  I  mean,  and  the  cause  of  morality;  for 
what  business  had  the  ecclesiastical  old  bachelors  with 
^such  a  set  of  trim  little  native  handmaidens?  These 
damsels  were  their  first  converts ;  and  devoted  ones  they 
were. 

The  priests,  as  I  said  before,  were  accounted  necro- 
mancers :  the  appearance  of  two  of  our  three  visitors 
might  have  justified  the  conceit. 

They  were  little,  dried-up  Frenchmen,  in  long,  straight 
gowns  of  black  cloth,  and  unsightly  three-cornered  hats, 
so  preposterously  big,  that,  in  putting  them  on,  the  rev- 
erend fathers  seemed  extinguishing  themselves. 

Their  companion  was  dressed  differently.  He  wore  a 
sort  of  yellow  flannel  morning-gown,  and  a  broad-brimmed 
Manilla  hat.  Large  and  portly,  he  was  also  hale  and 
fifty;  with  a  complexion  like  an  autumnal  leaf,  hand- 
some blue  eyes,  fine  teeth,  and  a  racy  Milesian  brogue. 
In  short,  he  was  an  Irishman  ;  Father  Murphy  by  name ; 
and,  as  such,  pretty  well  known,  and  very  thoroughly 
disliked,  throughout  all  the  Protestant  missionary  settle- 
ments in  Polynesia.  In  early  youth,  he  had  been  sent  to 
a  religious  seminary  in  France ;  and,  taking  orders  there, 
had  but  once  or  twice  afterward  revisited  his  native  land. 

Father  Murphy  marched  up  to  us  briskly;  and  the 
first  words  he  uttered  were,  to  ask  whether  there  were 
any  of  his  countrymen  among  us.  There  were  two  of 
them ;  one,  a  lad  of  sixteen  —  a  bright,  curly-headed  ras- 
cal —  and,  being  a  young  Irishman,  of  course  his  name 


FRENCH  PRIESTS  PAY   THEIR  RESPECTS.         163 

was  Pat.  The  other  was  an  ugly  and  rather  melancholy- 
looking  scamp ;  one  M'Gee,  whose  prospects  in  life  had 
been  blasted  by  a  premature  transportation  to  Sydney. 
This  was  the  report,  at  least,  though  it  might  have  been 
scandal. 

In  most  of  my  shipmates  were  some  redeeming  quali- 
ties;  but  about  M'Gee  there  was  nothing  of  the  kind; 
and,  forced  to  consort  with  him,  I  could  not  help  regret- 
ting, a  thousand  times,  that  the  gallows  had  been  so 
tardy.  As  if  impellod,  againstujierwill,  to  send  him 
into  the  worla^  Nature  had  done  all  she^oTikLto  ensure 
his  being  taken  for  what  he  was.  About  the  eyes  there 
was  no  mistaking  him;  with  a  villanous  cast  in  one, 
they  seemed  suspicious  of  each  other. 

Glancing  away  from  him  at  once,  the  bluff  priest 
rested  his  gaze  on  the  good-humoured  face  of  Pat,  whp<' 
with  a  pleasant  roguishness,  was  "  twigging  "  the>efibr- 
mous.hats  (or  "  Hytee  Belteezers,"  as  land  beavers  are 
called  by  sailors),  from  under  which,'like  a  couple  of 
snails,  peeped  the  two  little  Frenchmen. 

Pat  and  the  priest  were  both  from  the  same  town  in 
Meath ;  and,  when  this  was  found  out,  there  was  no  end 
to  the  questions  of  the  latter.  To  him,  Pat  seemed  a 
letter  from  home,  and  said  a  hundred  times  as  much. 

After  a  long  talk  between  these  two,  and  a  little 
broken  English  from  the  Frenchmen,  our  visitors  took 
leave;  but  Father  Murphy  had  hardly  gone  a  dozen 
rods,  when  back  he  came,  inquiring  whether  we  were  in 
want  of  anything. 

"  Yes,"  cried  one,  "  something  to  eat."  Upon  this,  he 
promised  to  send  us  some  fresh  wheat  bread,  of  his  own 
baking  ;  a  great  luxury  in  Tahiti. 

We  all  felicitated  Pat  upon  picking  up  such  a  friend, 
and  told  him  his  fortune  was  made. 


164  omoo. 

The  next  morning,  a  French  servant  of  the  priest's 
made  his  appearance,  with  a  small  bundle  of  clothing  for 
our  young  Hibernian ;  and  the  promised  bread  for  the 
party.  Pat,  being  out  at  the  knees  and  elbows,  and,  like 
the  rest  of  us,  not  full  inside,  the  present  was  acceptable 
all  round. 

In  the  afternoon,  Father  Murphy  himself  came  along ; 
and,  in  addition  to  his  previous  gifts,  gave  Pat  a  good 
deal  of  advice :  said  he  was  sorry  to  see  him  in  limbo, 
and  that  he  would  have  a  talk  with  the  consul  about 
having  him  set  free. 

We  saw  nothing  more  of  him  for  two  or  three  days  ; 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  paid  us  another  call,  telling 
Pat,  that  Wilson  was  inexorable,  having  refused  to  set 
him  at  liberty,  unless  to  go  aboard  the  ship.  This,  the 
priest  now  besought  him  to  do  forthwith ;  and  to  escape 
the  punishment  which,  it  seems,  Wilson  had  been  hint- 
ing at  to  his  intercessor.  Pat,  however,  was  staunch 
against  entreaties  ;  and,  with  all  the  ardour  of  a  sopho- 
morean  sailor,  protested  his  intention  to  hold  out  to  the 
last.  With  none  of  the  meekness  of  a  good  little  boy 
about  him,  the  blunt  youngster  stormed  away  at  such  a 
rate,  that  it  was  hard  to  pacify  him ;  and  the  priest  said 
no  more. 

How  it  came  to  pass  —  whether  from  Murphy's  speak- 
ing to  the  consul,  or  otherwise  — we  could  not  tell,  but  the 
next  day  Pat  was  sent  for  by  Wilson,  and  being  escorted 
to  the  village  by  our  good  old  keeper,  three  days  elasped 
before  he  returned. 

Bent  upon  reclaiming  him,  they  had  taken  him  on 
board  the  ship  ;  feasted  him  in  the  cabin  ;  and,  finding 
that  of  no  avail,  down  they  thrust  him  into  the  hold,  in 
double  irons,  and  on  bread  and  water.  All  would  not 
do ;  and  so  he  was  sent  back  to  the  Calabooza.    Boy 


FRENCH  PRIESTS  PAY   THEIR  RESPECTS.        165 

that  he  was,  they  must  have  counted  upon  his  being 
more  susceptible  to  discipline  than  the  rest. 

The  interest  felt  in  Pat's  welfare,  by  his  benevolent 
countryman,  was  very  serviceable  to  the  rest  of  us; 
especially  as  we  all  turned  Catholics,  and  went  to  mass 
every  morning,  much  to  Captain  Bob's  consternation. 
Upon  finding  it  out,  he  threatened  to  keep  us  in  the 
stocks,  if  we  did  not  desist.  He  went  no  farther  than 
this,  though  ;  and  so,  every  few  days,  we  strolled  down 
to  the  priest's  residence,  and  had  a  mouthful  to  eat,  and 
something  generous  to  drink.  In  particular,  Dr.  Long 
Ghost  and  myself  became  huge  favorites  with  Pat's 
friend ;  and  many  a  time  he  regaled  us  from  a  quaint- 
looking  travelling-case  for  spirits,  stowed  away  in  one 
corner  of  his  dwelling.  It  held  four  square  flasks, 
which,  somehow  or  other,  always  contained  just  enough 
to  need  emptying.  In  truth,  the  fine  old  Irishman  was 
a  rosy  fellow  in  canonicals.  His  countenance  and  his 
soul  were  always  in  a  glow.  It  may  be  ungenerous  to 
reveal  his  failings,  but  he  often  talked  thick,  and  some- 
times was  perceptibly  eccentric  in  his  gait. 

I  never  drink  French  brandy,  but  I  pledge  Father 
Murphy.  His  health  again  !  And  many  jolly  proselytes 
may  he  make  in  Polynesia ! 


166  omoo. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

LITTLE  JULE   SAILS  WITHOUT  US. 

To  make  good  the  hint  thrown  ont  by  the  consul 
upon  the  conclusion  of  the  Farce  of  the  Affidavits,  we 
were  again  brought  before  him  within  the  time  speci- 
fied. 

It  was  the  same  thing  over  again :  he  got  nothing  out 
of  us,  and  we  were  remanded ;  our  resolute  behaviour 
annoying  him  prodigiously. 

What  we  observed,  led  us  to  form  the  idea,  that  on 
first  learning  the  state  of  affairs  on  board  the  Julia, 
Wilson  must  have  addressed  his  invalid  friend,  the 
captain,  something  in  the  following  style :  — 

"  Guy,  my  poor  fellow,  don't  worry  yourself  now 
about  those  rascally  sailors  of  yours.  I'll  dress  them 
out  for  you —  just  leave  it  all  to  me,  and  set  your  mind 
at  rest." 

But  handcuffs  and  stocks,  big  looks,  threats,  dark 
hints,  and  depositions,  had  all  gone  for  nought. 

Conscious  that,  as  matters  now  stood,  nothing  serious 
could  grow  out  of  what  had  happened ;  and  never  dream- 
ing that  our  being  sent  home  for  trial  had  ever  been 
really  thought  of,  we  thoroughly  understood  Wilson, 
and  laughed  at  him  accordingly. 

Since  leaving  the  Julia,  we  had  caught  no  glimpse  of 
the  mate  ;  but  we  often  heard  of  him. 

It  seemed  that  he  remained  on  board,  keeping  house 
in  the  cabin  for  himself  and  Viner ;  who,  going  to  see 
him  according  to  promise,  was  induced  to  remain  a 
guest.     These  two  cronies  now  had  fine  times  ;  tapping 


LITTLE  JULE  SAILS   WITHOUT  US.  167 

the  captain's  quarter-casks,  playing  cards  on  the  tran- 
som, and  giving  balls  of  an  evening  to  the  ladies  ashore. 
In  short,  they  cut  up  so  many  queer  capers,  that  the 
missionaries  complained  of  them  to  the  consul;  and 
Jermin  received  a  sharp  reprimand. 

This  so  affected  him,  that  he  drank  still  more  freely 
than  before  ;  and  one  afternoon,  when  mellow  as  a  grape, 
he  took  umbrage  at  a  canoe  full  of  natives,  who,  on 
being  hailed  from  the  deck  to  come  aboard  and  show 
their  papers,  got  frightened,  and  paddled  for  the  shore. 
Lowering  a  boat  instantly,  he  equipped  Wymontoo  and 
the  Dane  with  a  cutlass  apiece,  and  seizing  another  him- 
self, off  they  started  in  pursuit,  the  ship's  ensign  flying 
in  the  boat's  stern.  The  alarmed  islanders,  beaching 
their  canoe,  with  loud  cries  fled  through  the  village,  the 
mate  after  them,  slashing  his  naked  weapon  to  right  and 
left.  A  crowd  soon  collected ;  and  the  "  Karhowree 
toonee,"  or  crazy  stranger,  was  quickly  taken  before 
Wilson. 

Now,  it  so  chanced,  that  in  a  native  house  hard  by, 
the  consul  and  Captain  Guy  were  having  a  quiet  game 
at  cribbage  by  themselves,  a  decanter  on  the  table  stand- 
ing sentry.  The  obstreperous  Jermin  was  brought  in ; 
and  finding  the  two  thus  pleasantly  occupied,  it  had  a 
soothing  effect  upon  him ;  and  he  insisted  upon  taking 
a  hand  at  the  cards,  and  a  drink  of  the  brandy.  As  the 
consul  was  nearly  as  tipsy  as  himself,  and  the  captain 
dared  not  object  for  fear  of  giving  offence,  at  it  they 
went,  —  all  three  of  them,  —  and  made  a  night  of  it ; 
the  mate's  delinquencies  being  summarily  passed  over, 
and  his  captors  sent  away. 

An  incident  worth  relating  grew  out  of  this  freak. 

There  wandered  about  Papeetee,  at  this  time,  a 
shrivelled  little  fright  of  an  English  woman,  known 


168  OMOO. 

among  sailors  as  "  Old  Mother  Tot."  From  New  Zea- 
land to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  she  had  been  all  over  the 
South  Seas;  keeping  a  rude  hut  of  entertainment  for 
mariners,  and  supplying  them  with  rum  and  dice.  Upon 
the  missionary  islands,  of  course,  such  conduct  was 
severely  punishable ;  and  at  various  places,  Mother  Tot's 
establishment  had  been  shut  up,  and  its  proprietor  made 
to  quit  in  the  first  vessel  that  could  be  hired  to  land  her 
elsewhere.  But,  with  a  perseverance  invincible,  wher- 
ever she  went,  she  always  started  afresh  ;  and  so  became 
notorious  everywhere. 

By  some  wicked  spell  of  hers,  a  patient,  one-eyed 
little  cobbler  followed  her  about,  mending  shoes  for 
white  men,  doing  the  old  woman's  cooking,  and  bearing 
all  her  abuse  without  grumbling.  Strange  to  relate,  a 
battered  Bible  was  seldom  out  of  his  sight;  and  when- 
ever he  had  leisure,  and  his  mistress's  back  was  turned, 
he  was  forever  poring  over  it.  This  pious  propensity 
used  to  enrage  the  old  crone  past  belief ;  and  oftentimes 
she  boxed  his  ears  with  the  book,  and  tried  to  burn  it. 
Mother  Tot  and  her  man  Josy  were,  indeed,  a  curious 
pair. 

But  to  my  story. 

A  week  or  so  after  our  arrival  in  the  harbour,  the  old 
lady  had  once  again  been  hunted  down,  and  forced  for 
the  time  to  abandon  her  nefarious  calling.  This  was 
brought  about  chiefly  by  Wilson,  who,  for  some  reason 
unknown,  had  contracted  the  most  violent  hatred 
for  her;  which,  on  her  part,  was  more  than  recipro- 
cated. 

Well,  passing  in  the  evening,  where  the  consul  and 
his  party  were  making  merry,  she  peeped  through  the 
bamboos  of  the  house ;  and  straightway  resolved  to 
gratify  her  spite. 


LITTLE  JULE  SAILS    WITHOUT   US.  169 

The  night  was  very  dark,  and  providing  herself  with 
a  huge  ship's  lantern,  which  usually  swung  in  her  hut, 
she  waited  till  they  came  forth.  This  happened  about 
midnight ;  Wilson  making  his  appearance,  supported  by 
two  natives,  holding  him  up  by  the  arms.  These  three 
went  first ;  and  just  as  they  got  under  a  deep  shade,  a 
bright  light  was  thrust  within  an  inch  of  Wilson's  nose. 
The  old  hag  was  kneeling  before  him,  holding  the 
lantern  with  uplifted  hands. 

"  Ha,  ha  !  my  fine  counsellor"  she  shrieked ;  "  ye  perse- 
cute a  lone  old  body  like  me  for  selling  rum  —  do  ye  ? 
And  here  ye  are,  carried  home  drunk  — ■  Hoot !  ye  villain, 
I  scorn  ye  ! "     And  she  spat  upon  him. 

Terrified  at  the  apparition,  the  poor  natives  —  arrant 
believers  in  ghosts  —  dropped  the  trembling  consul,  and 
fled  in  all  directions.  After  giving  full  vent  to  her 
rage,  Mother  Tot  hobbled  away,  and  left  the  three  revel- 
lers to  stagger  home  the  best  way  they  could. 

The  day  following  our  last  interview  with  Wilson,  we 
learned  that  Captain  Guy  had  gone  on  board  his  vessel, 
for  the  purpose  of  shipping  a  new  crew.  There  was  a 
round  bounty  offered ;  and  a  heavy  bag  of  Spanish  dol- 
lars, with  the  Julia's  articles  ready  for  signing,  was  laid 
on  the  capstan-head. 

Now  there  was  no  lack  of  idle  sailors  ashore,  mostly 
"  Beach-combers,"  who  had  formed  themselves  into  an 
organized  gang,  headed  by  one  Mack,  a  Scotchman, 
whom  they  styled  the  Commodore.  By  the  laws  of  the 
fraternity,  no  member  was  allowed  to  ship  on  board  a 
vessel,  unless  granted  permission  by  the  rest.  In  this 
way  the  gang  controlled  the  port,  all  discharged  seamen 
being  forced  to  join  them. 

To  Mack  and  his  men  our  story  was  well  known ;  in- 
deed, they  had  several  times  called  to  see  us;  and  of 


170  OMOO. 

course,  as  sailors  and  congenial  spirits,  they  were  hard 
against  Captain  Guy. 

Deeming  the  matter  important,  they  came  in  a  body 
to  the  Calabooza,  and  wished  to  know  whether,  all 
things  considered,  we  thought  it  best  for  any  of  them 
to  join  the  Julia. 

Anxious  to  pack  the  ship  off  as  soon  as  possible,  we 
answered,  by  all  means.  Some  went  so  far  as  to  laud 
the  Julia  to  the  skies,  as  the  best  and  fastest  of  ships. 
Jermin,  too,  as  a  good  fellow  and  a  sailor  every  inch, 
came  in  for  his  share  of  praise  ;  and  as  for  the  captain  — 
quiet  man,  he  would  never  trouble  any  one.  In  short, 
every  inducement  we  could  think  of  was  presented; 
and  Flash  Jack  ended  by  assuring  the  beach-combers 
solemnly,  that  now  we  were  all  well  and  hearty,  nothing 
but  a  regard  to  principle  prevented  us  from  returning  on 
board  ourselves. 

The  result  was,  that  a  new  crew  was  finally  obtained, 
together  with  a  steady  New  Englander  for  second  mate, 
and  three  good  whalemen  for  harpooners.  In  part,  what 
was  wanting  for  the  ship's  larder  was  also  supplied ;  and 
as  far  as  could  be  done  in  a  place  like  Tahiti,  the 
damages  the  vessel  had  sustained  were  repaired.  As  for 
the  Mowree,  the  authorities  refusing  to  let  him  be  put 
ashore,  he  was  carried  to  sea  in  irons,  down  in  the  hold. 
What  eventually  became  of  him,  we  never  heard. 

Ropey,  poor,  poor  Ropey,  who  a  few  days  previous 
had  fallen  sick,  was  left  ashore  at  the  sailor  hospital  at 
Townor,  a  small  place  upon  the  beach  between  Papeetee 
and  Matavai.  Here,  some  time  after,  he  breathed  his 
last.  No  one  knew  his  complaint :  he  must  have  died 
of  hard  times.  Several  of  us  saw  him  interred  in  the 
sand,  and  I  planted  a  rude  post  to  mark  his  resting- 
place. 


LITTLE  JULE  SAILS    WITHOUT   US.  171 

The  cooper  and  the  rest  who  had  remained  aboard 
from  the  first,  of  course,  composed  part  of  the  Julia's 
new  crew. 

To  account  for  the  conduct,  all  along,  of  the  consul 
and  captain,  in  trying  so  hard  to  alter  our  purpose  with 
respect  to  the  ship,  the  following  statement  is  all  that  is 
requisite.  Beside  an  advance  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty- 
five  dollars  demanded  by  every  sailor  shipping  at  Tahiti, 
an  additional  sum  for  each  man  so  shipped  has  to  be 
paid  into  the  hands  of  the  government,  as  a  charge  of 
the  port.  Beside  this,  the  men  —  with  here  and  there  an 
exception  —  will  only  ship  for  one  cruise,  thus  becoming 
entitled  to  a  discharge  before  the  vessel  reaches  home ; 
which,  in  time,  creates  the  necessity  of  obtaining  other 
men  at  a  similar  cost.  Now,  the  Julia's  exchequer  was 
at  a  low-water  mark,  or,  rather,  it  was  quite  empty :  and 
to  meet  these  expenses,  a  good  part  of  what  little  oil 
there  was  aboard  had  to  be  sold  for  a  song  to  a  merchant 
of  Papeetee. 

It  was  Sunday  in  Tahiti,  and  a  glorious  morning, 
when  Captain  Bob,  waddling  into  the  Calabooza, 
startled  us  by  announcing,  "Ah  —  my  boy  —  shippy 
you,  harree — maky  sail !  "  In  other  words,  the  Julia 
was  off. 

The  beach  was  quite  near,  and  in  this  quarter  alto- 
gether uninhabited ;  so  down  we  ran,  and,  at  a  cable's 
length,  saw  little  Jule  gliding  past  —  top-gallant-sails 
hoisting,  and  a  boy  aloft  with  one  leg  thrown  over  the 
yard,  loosing  the  fore-royal.  The  decks  were  all  life 
and  commotion ;  the  sailors  on  the  forecastle  singing, 
M  Ho,  cheerly  men ! "  as  they  catted  the  anchor ;  and 
the  gallant  Jermin,  bareheaded  as  his  wont,  standing  up 
on  the  bowsprit,  and  issuing  his  orders.  By  the  man  at 
the  helm,  stood  Captain    Guy,  very  quiet   and   gentle- 


172  omoo. 

manly,  and  smoking  a  cigar.  Soon  the  ship  drew  neai 
the  reef,  and  altering  her  course,  glided  out  through  the 
break,  and  went  on  her  way. 

Thus  disappeared  little  Jule,  about  three  weeks  after 
entering  the  harbour ;  and  nothing  more  have  I  ever 
heard  of  her. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

JERMIN  SERVES  US  A  GOOD  TURN.  —  FRIENDSHIPS  IN 
POLYNESIA. 

The  ship  out  of  the  way,  we  were  quite  anxious  to 
know  what  was  going  to  be  done  with  us.  On  this 
head,  Captain  Bob  could  tell  us  nothing ;  no  further, 
at  least,  than  that  he  still  considered  himself  respon- 
sible for  our  safe-keeping.  However,  he  never  put  us  to 
bed  any  more ;  and  we  had  everything  our  own  way. 

The  day  after  the  Julia  left,  the  old  man  came  up  to 
us  in  great  tribulation,  saying  that  the  bucket  of  bread 
was  no  longer  forthcoming,  and  that  Wilson  had  refused 
to  send  anything  in  its  place.  One  and  all,  we  took 
this  for  a  hint  to  disperse  quietly,  and  go  about  our 
business.  Nevertheless,  we  were  not  to  be  shaken  off 
so  easily ;  and  taking  a  malicious  pleasure  in  annoying 
our  old  enemy,  we  resolved,  for  the  present,  to  stay 
where  we  were.  For  the  part  he  had  been  acting,  we 
learned  that  the  consul  was  the  laughing-stock  of  all 
the  foreigners  ashore,  who  frequently  twitted  him  upon 
his  hopeful  protege's  of  the  Calabooza  Beretanee. 

As  we  were  wholly  without  resources,  so  long  as  we 
remained  on  the  island  no  better  place  than   Captain 


JERMIN  SERVES   US  A   GOOD   TURN.  173 

Bob's  could  be  selected  for  an  abiding-place.  Beside, 
we  heartily  loved  the  old  gentleman,  and  could  not 
think  of  leaving  him  ;  so,  telling  him  to  be  quite  at  ease 
on  the  score  of  our  clothing  and  food,  we  resolved,  by- 
extending  and  systematising  our  foraging  operations, 
to  provide  for  ourselves. 

We  were  greatly  assisted  by  a  parting  legacy  of  Jer- 
min's.  To  him  we  were  indebted  for  having  all  our 
chests  sent  ashore,  and  everything  left  therein.  They 
were  placed  in  the  custody  of  a  petty  chief  living 
near  by,  who  was  instructed  by  the  consul  not  to  allow 
them  to  be  taken  away  ;  but  we  might  call  and  make 
our  toilets  whenever  we  pleased. 

We  went  to  see  Mahinee,  the  old  chief ;  Captain  Bob 
going  along,  and  stoutly  insisting  upon  having  the 
chattels  delivered  up.  At  last  this  was  done ;  and  in 
solemn  procession  the  chests  were  borne  by  the  natives 
to  the  Calabooza.  Here,  we  disposed  them  about  quite 
tastefully,  and  made  such  a  figure,  that  in  the  eyes  of 
old  Bob  and  his  friends,  the  Calabooza  Beretanee  was 
by  far  the  most  sumptuously  furnished  saloon  in  Tahiti. 

Indeed,  so  long  as  it  remained  thus  furnished,  the 
native  courts  of  the  district  were  held  there ;  the  judge, 
Mahinee,  and  his  associates,  sitting  upon  one  of  the 
chests,  and  the  culprits  and  spectators  thrown  at  full 
length  upon  the  ground,  both  inside  of  the  building, 
and  under  the  shade  of  the  trees  without ;  while  lean- 
ing over  the  stocks  as  from  a  gallery,  the  worshipful 
crew  of  the  Julia  looked  on,  and  canvassed  the  pro- 
ceedings. 

I  should  have  mentioned  before,  that  previous  to  the 
vessel's  departure  the  men  had  bartered  away  all  the 
clothing  they  could  possibly  spare  ;  but  now,  it  was  re- 
solved to  be  more  provident. 


174  omoo. 

The  contents  of  the  chests  were  of  the  most  miscella- 
neous description  :  —  sewing-utensils,  marling-spikes, 
strips  of  calico,  bits  of  rope,  jack-knives ;  nearly  every- 
thing, in  short,  that  a  seaman  could  think  of.  But  of 
wearing  apparel,  there  was  little  but  old  frocks,  rem- 
nants of  jackets,  and  legs  of  trousers,  with  now  and 
then  the  foot  of  a  stocking.  These,  however,  were  far 
from  being  valueless  ;  for,  among  the  poorer  Tahitians, 
everything  European  is  highly  esteemed.  They  come 
from  uBeretanee,  Fenooa  Pararee  "  (Britain,  Land  of 
Wonders),  and  that  is  enough. 

The  chests  themselves  were  deemed  exceedingly  pre- 
cious, especially  those  with  unfractured  locks,  which 
would  absolutely  click,  and  enable  the  owner  to  walk 
off  with  the  key.  Scars,  however,  and  bruises,  were 
considered  great  blemishes.  One  old  fellow,  smitten 
with  the  doctor's  large  mahogany  chest  (a  well  filled 
one,  by  the  by),  and  finding  infinite  satisfaction  in 
merely  sitting  thereon,  was  detected  in  the  act  of 
applying  a  healing  ointment  to  a  shocking  scratch 
which  impaired  the  beauty  of  the  lid. 

There  is  no  telling  the  love  of  a  Tahitian  for  a  sailor's 
trunk.  So  ornamental  is  it  held  as  an  article  of  furni- 
ture in  his  hut,  that  the  women  are  incessantly  torment- 
ing their  husbands  to  bestir  themselves  and  make  them 
a  present  of  one.  When  obtained,  no  pier-table  just 
placed  in  a  drawing-room  is  regarded  with  half  the 
delight.  For  these  reasons,  then,  our  coming  into  pos- 
session of  our  estate  at  this  time,  was  an  important 
event. 

The  islanders  are  much  like  the  rest  of  the  world ; 
and  the  news  of  our  good  fortune  brought  us  troops  of 
"  tayos  "  or  friends,  eager  to  form  an  alliance  after  the 
national  custom,  and  do  our  slightest  bidding. 


JERMIN  SERVES   US  A   GOOD   TURN.  175 

The  really  curious  way  in  which  all  the  Polynesians 
are  in  the  habit  of  making  bosom  friends  at  the  shortest 
possible  notice,  is  deserving  of  remark.  Although, 
among  a  people  like  the  Tahitians,  vitiated  as  they  are 
by  sophisticating  influences,  this  custom  has  in  most 
cases  degenerated  into  a  mere  mercenary  relation,  it 
nevertheless  had  its  origin  in  a  fine,  and  in  some  in- 
stances, heroic  sentiment,  formerly  entertained  by  their 
fathers. 

In  the  annals  of  the  island  are  examples  of  extrava- 
gant friendships,  unsurpassed  by  the  story  of  Damon 
and  Pythias :  in  truth,  much  more  wonderful ;  for,  not- 
withstanding the  devotion — even  of  life  in  some  cases 
—  to  which  they  led,  they  were  frequently  entertained 
at  first  sight  for  some  stranger  from  another  island. 

Filled  with  love  and  admiration  for  the  first  whites 
that  came  among  them,  the  Polynesians  could  not  testify 
the  warmth  of  their  emotions  more  strongly,  than  by 
instantaneously  making  their  abrupt  proffer  of  friend- 
ship. Hence,  in  old  voyages  we  read  of  chiefs  coming 
off  from  the  shore  in  their  canoes,  and  going  through 
with  strange  antics,  expressive  of  this  desire.  In  the 
same  way,  their  inferiors  accosted  the  seamen  ;  and  thus 
the  practice  has  continued  in  some  islands  down  to  the 
present  day. 

There  is  a  small  place,  not  many  days'  sail  from 
Tahiti,  and  seldom  visited  by  shipping,  where  the  vessel 
touched  to  which  I  then  happened  to  belong. 

Of  course,  among  the  simple-hearted  natives,  we  had 
a  friend  all  round.  Mine  was  Poky,  a  handsome  youth, 
who  never  could  do  enough  for  me.  Every  morning 
at  sunrise,  his  canoe  came  alongside  loaded  with  fruits 
of  all  kinds;  upon  being  emptied,  it  was  secured  by 
a  line   to  the   bowsprit,    under  which  it   lay    all    day 


176  omoo. 

long,  ready  at  any  time  to  carry  its  owner  ashore  on  an 
errand. 

Seeing  him  so  indefatigable,  I  told  Poky  one  day, 
that  I  was  a  virtuoso  in  shells  and  curiosities  of  all 
kinds.  That  was  enough;  away  he  paddled  for  the 
head  of  the  bay,  and  I  never  saw  him  again  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  next  morning,  his  canoe  came  gliding 
slowly  along  the  shore,  with  the  full-leaved  bough  of  a 
tree  for  a  sail.  For  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  things 
dry,  he  had  also  built  a  sort  of  platform  just  behind  the 
prow,  railed  in  with  green  wicker-work ;  and  here  was  a 
heap  of  yellow  bananas  and  cowree  shells ;  young  cocoa 
nuts  and  antlers  of  red  coral ;  two  or  three  pieces  of 
carved  wood  ;  a  little  pocket-idol,  black  as  jet,  and  rolls 
of  printed  tappa. 

We  were  given  a  holiday ;  and  upon  going  ashore, 
Poky,  of  course,  was  my  companion  and  guide.  For 
this,  no  mortal  could  be  better  qualified ;  his  native 
country  was  not  large,  and  he  knew  every  inch  of  it. 
Gallanting  me  about,  every  one  was  stopped  and  cere- 
moniously introduced  to  Poky's  "  tayo  karhowree  nuee," 
or  his  particular  white  friend. 

He  showed  me  all  the  lions,  but  more  than  all  he  took 
me  to  see  a  charming  lioness  —  a  young  damsel  —  the 
daughter  of  a  chief  —  the  reputation  of  whose  charms 
had  spread  to  the  neighboring  islands,  and  even  brought 
suitors  therefrom.  Among  these  was  Tooboi,  the  heir 
of  Tamatoy,  King  of  Raiatea,  one  of  the  Society  Isles. 
The  girl  was  certainly  fair  to  look  upon.  Many  heavens 
were  in  her  sunny  eyes,  and  the  outline  of  that  arm  of 
hers,  peeping  forth  from  a  capricious  tappa  robe,  was 
the  very  curve  of  beauty. 

Though  there  was  no  end  to  Poky's  attentions,  not  a 
syllable  did  he  ever  breathe  of  reward ;  but  sometimes 


WE  TAKE   UNTO   OURSELVES  FRIENDS.  177 


he  looked  very  knowing.  At  last  the  day  came  for 
sailing,  and  with  it,  also,  his  canoe,  loaded  down  to  the 
gunwale  with  a  sea  stock  of  fruits.  Giving  him  all  I 
could  spare  from  my  chest,  I  went  on  deck  to  take  my 
place  at  the  windlass,  for  the  anchor  was  weighing. 
Poky  followed,  and  heaved  with  me  at  the  same  hand- 
spike. 

The  anchor  was  soon  up,  and  away  we  went  out  of 
the  bay  with  more  than  twenty  shallops  towing  astern. 
At  last  they  left  us  ;  but  as  long  as  I  could  see  him  at 
all,  there  was  Poky  standing  alone  and  motionless  in 
the  bow  of  his  canoe. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

WE  TAKE  UNTO   OURSELVES   FRIENDS. 

The  arrrival  of  the  chests  made  my  friend,  the  doc- 
tor, by  far  the  wealthiest  man  of  the  party.  So  much 
the  better  for  me,  seeing  that  I  had  little  or  nothing 
myself,  though  from  our  intimacy,  the  natives  courted 
my  favor  almost  as  much  as  his. 

Among  others,  Kooloo  was  a  candidate  for  my  friend- 
ship ;  and  being  a  comely  youth,  quite  a  buck  in  his  way, 
I  accepted  his  overtures.  By  this,  I  escaped  the  impor- 
tunities of  the  rest  ;  for  be  it  known,  that,  though  little 
inclined  to  jealousy  in  love  matters,  the  Tahitian  will 
hear  of  no  rivals  in  his  friendship. 

Kooloo,  running  over  his  qualifications  as  a  friend, 
first  of  all  informed  me  that  he  was  a  "  Mickonaree," 
thus  declaring  his  communion  with  the  church. 


178  omoo. 

The  way  this  "  tayo  "  of  mine  expressed  his  regard 
was  by  assuring  me  over  and  over  again  that  the  love 
he  bore  me  was  "nuee,  nuee,  nuee,"  or  infinitesimally 
extensive.  Ail  over  these  seas  the  word  "  nuee  "  is  sig- 
nificant of  quantity.  Its  repetition  is  like  placing 
ciphers  at  the  right  hand  of  a  numeral ;  the  more  places 
you  carry  it  out  to,  the  greater  the  sum.  Judge,  then, 
of  Kooloo's  esteem.  Nor  is  the  allusion  to  the  ciphers 
at  all  inappropriate,  seeing  that,  in  themselves,  Kooloo's 
professions  turned  out  to  be  worthless.  He  was,  alas ! 
as  sounding  brass  and  a  tinkling  cymbal ;  one  of  those 
who  make  no  music  unless  the  clapper  be  silver. 

In  the  coarse  of  a  few  days,  the  sailors,  like  the  doc- 
tor and  myself,  were  cajoled  out  of  everything,  and  our 
"tayos,"  all  round,  began  to  cool  off  quite  sensibly. 
So  remiss  did  they  become  in  their  attentions,  that  we 
could  no  longer  rely  upon  their  bringing  us  the  daily 
supply  of  food,  which  all  of  them  had  faithfully  prom- 
ised. 

As  for  Kooloo,  after  sponging  me  well,  he  one  morn- 
ing played  the  part  of  a  retrograde  lover,  informing  me 
that  his  affections  had  undergone  a  change  ;  he  had 
fallen  in  love  at  first  sight  with  a  smart  sailor,  who  had 
just  stepped  ashore  quite  flush  from  a  lucky  whaling- 
cruise. 

It  was  a  touching  interview,  and  with  it  our  connec- 
tion dissolved.  But  the  sadness  which  ensued  would 
soon  have  been  dissipated,  had  not  my  sensibilities  been 
wounded  by  his  indelicately  sporting  some  of  my  gifts 
very  soon  after  this  transfer  of  his  affections.  Hardly  a 
day  passed,  that  I  did  not  meet  him  on  the  Broom  Road, 
airing  himself  in  a  Regatta  shirt,  which  I  had  given  him 
in  happier  hours. 

He  went  by  with  such  an   easy  saunter  too,  looking 


WE  TAKE   UNTO  OUR  SELVES  FRIENDS.  179 

me  pleasantly  in  the  eye,  and  merely  exchanging  the  cold 
salute  of  the  road  :  — "  Yar  onor,  boyoee,"  a  mere  side- 
walk how  d'ye  do.  After  several  experiences  like  this, 
I  began  to  entertain  a  sort  of  respect  for  Kooloo,  as 
quite  a  man  of  the  world.  In  good  sooth,  he  turned  out 
to  be  one  ;  in  one  week's  time  giving  me  the  cut  direct, 
and  lounging  by  without  evsn  nodding.  He  must  have 
taken  me  for  part  of  the  landscape. 

Before  the  chests  were  quite  empty,  we  had  a  grand 
washing  in  the  stream  of  our  best  raiment,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  looking  tidy,  and  visiting  the  European  chapel 
in  the  village.  Every  Sunday  morning  it  is  open  for 
divine  service,  some  member  of  the  mission  officiating. 
This  was  the  first  time  we  ever  entered  Papeetee  un- 
attended by  an  escort. 

In  the  chapel  there  were  about  forty  people  present, 
including  the  officers  of  several  ships  in  harbour.  It  was 
an  energetic  discourse,  and  the  pulpit-cushion  was  well 
pounded.  Occupying  a  high  seat  in  the  synagogue,  and 
stiff  as  a  flag-staff,  was  our  beloved  guardian,  Wilson. 
I  shall  never  forget  his  look  of  wonder  when  his  interest- 
ing wards  filed  in  at  the  doorway,  and  took  up  a  seat 
directly  facing  him. 

Service  over,  we  waited  outside  in  hopes  of  seeing 
more  of  him  ;  but,  sorely  annoyed  at  the  sight  of  us,  he 
reconnoitred  from  the  window,  and  never  came  forth 
until  we  had  started  for  home. 


180  OMOO. 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

WE  LEVY  CONTRIBUTIONS   ON   THE  SHIPPING. 

ScAPvCELY  a  week  went  by  after  the  Julia's  sailing, 
when,  with  the  proverbial  restlessness  of  sailors,  some  of 
the  men  began  to  grow  weary  of  the  Calabooza  Bere- 
tanee,  and  resolved  to  go  boldly  among  the  vessels  in 
the  bay,  and  offer  to  ship. 

The  thing  was  tried;  but  though  strongly  recommended 
by  the  commodore  of  the  beach-combers,  in  the  end  they 
were  invariably  told  by  the  captains  to  whom  they  ap- 
plied, that  they  bore  an  equivocal  character  ashore,  and 
would  not  answer.  So  often  were  they  repulsed,  that 
we  pretty  nearly  gave  up  all  thoughts  of  leaving  the 
island  in  this  way ;  and  growing  domestic  again,  settled 
down  quietly  at  Captain  Bob's. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  whaling  ships,  which 
have  their  regular  seasons  for  cruising,  began  to  arrive 
at  Papeetee ;  and  of  course  their  crews  frequently  visited 
us.  This  is  customary  all  over  the  Pacific.  No  sailor 
steps  ashore,  but  he  straightway  goes  to  the  "  Calabooza," 
where  he  is  almost  sure  to  find  some  poor  fellow  or  other 
in  confinement  for  desertion,  or  alleged  mutiny,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort.  Sympathy  is  proffered,  and,  if  need 
be,  tobacco.  The  latter,  however,  is  most  in  request ; 
as  a  solace  to  the  captive,  it  is  invaluable. 

Having  fairly  carried  the  day  against  both  consul  and 
captain,  we  were  objects  of  even  more  than  ordinary 
interest  to  these  philanthropists  ;  and  they  always  cor- 
dially applauded  our  conduct.  Besides,  they  invariably 
brought  along  something  in  the  way  of  refreshments ; 


WE  LEVY  CONTRIBUTIONS.  181 

occasionally  smuggling  in  a  little  Pisco.  Upon  one 
occasion,  when  there  was  quite  a  number  present,  a  cala- 
bash was  passed  round,  and  a  pecuniary  collection  taken 
up  for  our  benefit. 

One  day  a  new  comer  proposed,  that  two  or  three  of 
us  should  pay  him  a  sly  nocturnal  visit  aboard  his  ship ; 
engaging  to  send  us  away  well  freighted  with  provisions. 
This  was  not  a  bad  idea  ;  nor  were  we  at  all  backward 
in  acting  upon  it.  Night  after  night  every  vessel  in 
the  harbour  was  visited  in  rotation,  the  foragers  borrowing 
Captain  Bob's  canoe  for  the  purpose.  As  we  all  took 
turns  at  this,  two  by  two,  in  due  course  it  came  to  Long 
Ghost  and  myself,  for  the  sailors  invariably  linked  us 
together.  In  such  an  enterprise,  I  somewhat  distrusted 
the  doctor,  for  he  was  no  sailor,  and  very  tall ;  and  a 
canoe  is  the  most  ticklish  of  navigable  things.  However, 
it  could  not  be  helped  ;  and  so  we  went. 

But  a  word  about  the  canoes,  before  we  go  any  fur- 
ther. Among  the  Society  Islands,  the  art  of  building 
them,  like  all  native  accomplishments,  has  greatly 
deteriorated ;  and  they  are  now  the  most  inelegant,  as 
well  as  the  most  insecure,  of  any  in  the  South  Seas.  In 
Cook's  time,  according  to  his  account,  there  was  at 
Tahiti  a  royal  fleet  of  seventeen  hundred  and  twenty 
large  war-canoes,  handsomely  carved,  and  otherwise 
adorned.  At  present,  those  used  are  quite  small; 
nothing  more  than  logs  hollowed  out,  sharpened  at  one 
end,  and  then  launched  into  the  water. 

To  obviate  a  certain  rolling  propensity,  the  Tahitians, 
like  all  Polynesians,  attach  to  them  what  sailors  call  an 
"  outrigger."  It  consists  of  a  pole  floating  alongside, 
parallel  to  the  canoe,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  couple 
of  cross  sticks,  a  yard  or  more  in  length.  Thus  equipped, 
the  canoe  cannot  be  overturned,  unless  you  overcome 


182  OMOO. 

the  buoyancy  of  the  pole,  or  lift  it  entirely  out  of  the 
water. 

Now,  Captain  Bob's  "  gig "  was  exceedingly  small ; 
so  small,  and  of  such  a  grotesque  shape,  that  the  sailors 
christened  it  the  Pill  Box ;  and  by  this  appellation  it 
always  went.  In  fact,  it  was  a  sort  of  "sulky,"  meant 
for  a  solitary  paddler,  but,  on  an  emergency,  capable  of 
floating  two  or  three.  The  outrigger  was  a  mere 
switch,  alternately  rising  in  air,  and  then  depressed  in 
the  water. 

Assuming  the  command  of  the  expedition,  upon  the 
strength  of  my  being  a  sailor,  I  packed  the  Long  Doctor 
with  a  paddle  in  the  bow,  and  then  shoving  off,  leaped 
into  the  stern ;  thus  leaving  him  to  do  all  the  work,  and 
reserving  to  myself  the  dignified  sinecure  of  steering. 
All  would  have  gone  well,  were  it  not  that  my  paddler 
made  such  clumsy  work,  that  the  water  spattered,  and 
showered  down  upon  us  without  ceasing.  Continuing 
to  ply  his  tool,  however,  quite  energetically,  I  thought 
he  would  improve  after  a  while,  and  so  let  him  alone. 
But  by  and  by,  getting  wet  through  with  this  little  storm 
we  were  raising,  and  seeing  no  signs  of  its  clearing  off, 
I  conjured  him,  in  Mercy's  name  to  stop  short,  and  let 
me  wring  myself  out.  Upon  this,  he  suddenly  turned 
round,  when  the  canoe  gave  a  roll,  the  outrigger  flew 
overhead,  and  the  next  moment  came  rap  on  the  doctor's 
skull,  and  we  were  both  in  the  water. 

Fortunately,  we  were  just  over  a  ledge  of  coral,  not 
half  a  fathom  under  the  surface.  Depressing  one  end 
of  the  filled  canoe,  and  letting  go  of  it  quickly,  it 
bounced  up,  and  discharged  great  part  of  its  contents ; 
so  that  we  easily  bailed  out  the  remainder,  and  again 
embarked.  This  time,  my  comrade  coiled  himself 
away  in  a  very  small  space  ;  and  enjoining  upon  him 


WE  LEVY  CONTRIBUTIONS.  183 

not  to  draw  a  single  unnecessary  breath,  I  proceeded  to 
urge  the  canoe  along  by  myself.  I  was  astonished  at 
his  docility,  never  speaking  a  word,  and  stirring  neither 
hand  nor  foot ;  but  the  secret  was,  he  was  unable  to 
swim,  and  in  case  we  met  with  a  second  mishap,  there 
were  no  more  ledges  beneath  to  stand  upon.  "  Drown- 
ing's  but  a  shabby  way  of  going  out  of  the  world,"  he 
exclaimed,  upon  my  rallying  him ;  "  and  I'm  not  going 
to  be  guilty  of  it." 

At  last,  the  ship  was  at  hand,  and  we  approached  with 
much  caution,  wishing  to  avoid  being  hailed  by  any  one 
from  the  quarter-deck.  Dropping  silently  under  her 
bows,  we  heard  a  low  whistle  —  the  signal  agreed  upon 
—  and  presently  a  goodly  sized  bag  was  lowered  over 
to  us. 

We  cut  the  line,  and  then  paddled  away  as  fast  as  we 
could,  and  made  the  best  of  our  way  home.  Here  we 
found  the  rest  waiting  impatiently. 

The  bag  turned  out  to  be  well  filled  with  sweet  pota- 
toes boiled,  cubes  of  salt  beef  and  pork,  and  a  famous 
sailors'  pudding,  what  they  call  "  duff,"  made  of  flour 
and  water,  and  of  about  the  consistence  of  an  underdone 
brick.  With  these  delicacies,  and  keen  appetites,  we 
went  out  into  the  moonlight,  and  had  a  nocturnal  pic- 
nic. 


184  omoo. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

MOTOO-OTOO.      A  TAHITI  AN   CASUIST. 

The  Pill-Box  was  sometimes  employed  for  other  pur- 
poses than  that  described  in  the  last  chapter.  We  some- 
times went  a-pleasuring  in  it. 

Right  in  the  middle  of  Papeetee  harbour  is  a  bright 
green  island,  one  circular  grove  of  waving  palms,  and 
scarcely  a  hundred  yards  across.  It  is  of  coral  forma- 
tion ;  and  all  round,  for  many  rods  out,  the  bay  is  so 
shallow,  that  you  might  wade  anywhere.  Down  in 
these  waters,  as  transparent  as  air,  you  see  coral  plants 
of  every  hue  and  shape  imaginable  :  —  antlers,  tufts  of 
azure,  waving  reeds  like  stalks  of  grain,  and  pale  green 
buds  and  mosses.  In  some  places,  you  look  through 
prickly  branches  down  to  a  snow-white  floor  of  sand, 
sprouting  with  flinty  bulbs  ;  and  crawling  among  these 
are  strange  shapes :  —  some  bristling  with  spikes,  others 
clad  in  shining  coats  of  mail,  and  here  and  there  round 
forms  all  spangled  with  eyes. 

The  island  is  called  Motoo-Otoo ;  and  around  Motoo- 
Otoo  have  I  often  paddled  of  a  white  moonlight  night, 
pausing  now  and  then  to  admire  the  marine  gardens 
beneath. 

The  place  is  the  private  property  of  the  queen,  who 
has  a  residence  there  —  a  melancholy-looking  range  of 
bamboo  houses  —  neglected  and  falling  to  decay  among 
the  trees. 

Commanding  the  harbour  as  it  does,  her  majesty  has 
done  all  she  could  to  make  a  fortress  of  the  island.    The 


With   the  stock  of   his  gun,  the  old   warder  fetched  a  tremen- 
dous blow." 


MOTOO-OTOO.    A   TAHITI  AN  CASUIST.  185 

margin  has  been  raised  and  levelled,  and  built  up  with 
a  low  parapet  of  hewn  blocks  of  coral.  Behind  the 
parapet,  are  ranged  at  wide  intervals  a  number  of  rusty- 
old  cannon,  of  all  fashions  and  calibres.  They  are 
mounted  upon  lame,  decrepit-looking  carriages,  ready 
to  sink  under  the  useless  burden  of  bearing  them  up. 
Indeed,  two  or  three  have  given  up  the  ghost  altogether, 
and  the  pieces  they  sustained  lie  half-buried  among  their 
bleaching  bones.  Several  of  the  cannon  are  spiked ; 
probably  with  a  view  of  making  them  more  formidable ; 
as  they  certainly  must  be  to  any  one  undertaking  to  fire 
them  off. 

Presented  to  Pomaree  at  various  times  by  captains  of 
British  armed  ships,  these  poor  old  "  dogs  of  war,"  thus 
toothless  and  turned  out  to  die,  formerly  bayed  in  full 
pack,  as  the  battle  hounds  of  Old  England. 

There  was  something  about  Motoo-Otoo  that  struck 
my  fancy ;  and  I  registered  a  vow  to  plant  my  foot  upon 
its  soil,  notwithstanding  an  old  bareheaded  sentry 
menaced  me  in  the  moonlight  with  an  unsightly  mus- 
ket. As  my  canoe  drew  scarcely  three  inches  of  water, 
I  could  paddle  close  up  to  the  parapet  without  ground- 
ing ;  but  every  time  I  came  near,  the  old  man  ran 
towards  me,  pushing  his  piece  forward,  but  never  clap- 
ping it  to  his  shoulder.  Thinking  he  only  meant  to 
frighten  me,  I  at  last  dashed  the  canoe  right  up  to  the 
wall,  purposing  a  leap.  It  was  the  rashest  act  of  my 
life  ;  for  never  did  cocoa-nut  come  nearer  getting  demol- 
ished than  mine  did  then.  With  the  stock  of  his  gun, 
the  old  warder  fetched  a  tremendous  blow,  which  I 
managed  to  dodge ;  and  then,  falling  back,  succeeded  in 
paddling  out  of  harm's  reach. 

He  must  have  been  dumb ;  for  never  a  word  did  he 
utter ;  but,  grinning  from  ear  to  ear,  and  with  his  white 


186  omoo. 

cotton  robe  streaming  in  the  moonlight,  he  looked  more 
like  the  spook  of  the  island  than  any  thing  mortal. 

I  tried  to  effect  my  object  by  attacking  him  in  the 
rear  —  but  he  was  all  front ;  running  about  the  place  as 
I  paddled,  and  presenting  his  confounded  musket  wher- 
ever I  went.  At  last  I  was  obliged  to  retreat ;  and  to 
this  day  my  vow  remains  unfulfilled. 

It  was  a  few  days  after  my  repulse  from  before  the 
walls  of  Motoo-Otoo,  that  I  heard  a  curious  case  of 
casuistry  argued  between  one  of  the  most  clever  and 
intelligent  natives  I  ever  saw  in  Tahiti,  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Arheetoo,  and  our  learned  Theban  of  a  doctor. 

It  was  this  :  —  whether  it  was  right  and  lawful  for 
any  one  being  a  native  to  keep  the  European  Sabbath, 
in  preference  to  the  day  set  apart  as  such  by  the 
missionaries,  and  so  considered  by  the  islanders  in 
general. 

It  must  be  known  that  the  missionaries  of  the  good 
ship  Duff,  who  more  than  half  a  century  ago  established 
the  Tahitian  reckoning,  came  hither  by  the  way  of  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  and,  by  thus  sailing  to  the  east- 
ward, lost  one  precious  day  of  their  lives  all  round, 
getting  about  that  much  in  advance  of  Greenwich  time. 
For  this  reason,  vessels  coming  round  Cape  Horn  —  as 
they  most  all  do  nowadays  —  find  it  Sunday  in  Tahiti, 
when,  according  to  their  own  view  of  the  matter,  it 
ought  to  be  Saturday,  But  as  it  won't  do  to  alter  the 
log,  the  sailors  keep  their  Sabbath,  and  the  islanders 
theirs. 

This  confusion  perplexes  the  poor  natives  mightily; 
and  it  is  to  no  purpose  that  you  endeavour  to  explain  so 
incomprehensible  a  phenomenon.  I  once  saw  a  worthy 
old  missionary  essay  to  shed  some  light  on  the  subject  5 
and  though  I  understood  but  few  of  the  words  employed, 


MOTOO-OTOO.     A    TAHITIAN  CASUIST.  187 

I  could  easily  get  at  the  meaning  of  his  illustrations. 
They  were  something  like  the  following:  — 

"  Here,"  says  he,  "  you  see  this  circle  "  (describing  a 
large  one  on  the  ground  with  a  stick)  :  "  very  good ; 
now  you  see  this  spot  here  "  (marking  a  point  in  the 
perimeter)  :  "  well ;  this  is  Beretanee  "  (England),  "  and 
I'm  going  to  sail  round  to  Tahiti.  Here  I  go,  then " 
(following  the  circle  round),  "  and  there  goes  the  sun  " 
(snatching  up  another  sfcick,  and  commissioning  a  ban- 
dy-legged native  to  travel  round  with  it  in  a  contrary 
direction).  "  Now  then,  we  are  both  off,  and  both  going 
away  from  each  other ;  and  here  you  see  I  have  arrived 
at  Tahiti "  (making  a  sudden  stop)  ;  "  and  look  now, 
where  Bandy  Legs  is  !  " 

But  the  crowd  strenuously  maintained,  that  Bandy 
Legs  ought  to  be  somewhere  above  them  in  the  atmos- 
phere ;  for  it  was  a  traditionary  fact,  that  the  people 
from  the  Duff  came  ashore  when  the  sun  was  high  over 
head.  And  here  the  old  gentleman,  being  a  very  good 
sort  of  a  man,  doubtless,  but  no  astronomer,  was  obliged 
to  give  up. 

Arheetoo,  the  casuist  alluded  to,  though  a  member  of 
the  church,  and  extremely  conscientious  about  what 
Sabbath  he  kept,  was  more  liberal  in  other  matters. 
Learning  that  I  was  something  of  a  "  mickonaree  "  (in 
this  sense,  a  man  able  to  read,  and  cunning  in  the  use 
of  the  pen),  he  desired  the  slight  favour  of  my  forging 
for  him  a  set  of  papers  ;  for  which,  he  said,  he  would  be 
much  obliged,  and  give  me  a  good  dinner  of  roast  pig 
and  Indian  turnip  in  the  bargain. 

Now,  Arheetoo  was  one  of  those  who  board  the  ship- 
ping for  their  washing;  and  the  competition  being  very 
great  (the  proudest  chiefs  not  disdaining  to  solicit  cus- 
tom in  person,  though  the  work  is  done  by  their  depend- 


188  OMOO. 

ents),  he  had  decided  upon  a  course  suggested  by  a 
knowing  sailor,  a  friend  of  his.  He  wished  to  have 
manufactured  a  set  of  certificates,  purporting  to  come 
from  certain  man-of-war  and  merchant  captains,  known 
to  have  visited  the  island;  recommending  him  as  one  of 
the  best  getters  up  of  fine  linen  in  all  Polynesia. 

At  this  time,  Arheetoo  had  known  me  but  two  hours ; 
and,  as  he  made  the  proposition  very  coolly,  I  thought 
it  rather  presumptuous,  and  told  him  so.  But  as  it  was 
quite  impossible  to  convey  a  hint,  that  there  was  a  slight 
impropriety  in  the  thing,  I  did  not  resent  the  insult,  but 
simply  declined. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

ONE  IS  JUDGED  BY  THE  COMPANY  HE  KEEPS. 

Although,  from  its  novelty,  life  at  Captain  Bob's 
was  pleasant  enough  for  the  time,  there  were  some  few 
annoyances  connected  with  it,  any  thing  but  agreeable 
to  a  "soul  of  sensibility." 

Prejudiced  against  us  by  the  malevolent  representa- 
tions of  the  consul  and  others,  many  worthy  foreigners 
ashore  regarded  us  as  a  set  of  lawless  vagabonds ;  though, 
truth  to  speak,  better  behaved  sailors  never  stepped  on 
the  island,  nor  any  who  gave  less  trouble  to  the. natives. 
But,  for  all  this,  whenever  we  met  a  respectably  dressed 
European,  ten  to  one  he  shunned  us,  by  going  over  to 
the  other  side  of  the  road.  This  was  very  unpleasant, 
at  least  to  myself  ;  though,  certes,  it  did  not  prey  upon 
the  minds  of  the  others. 

To  give  an  instance. 


ONE  IS  JUDGED  BY  THE  COMPANY  HE  KEEPS.     189 

Of  a  fine  evening  in  Tahiti  —  but  they  are  all  fine 
evenings  there  — you  may  see  a  bevy  of  silk  bonnets  and 
parasols  passing  along  the  Broom  Road:  perhaps  a  band 
of  pale,  little  white  urchins — sickly  exotics  —  and,  oft- 
ener  still,  sedate,  elderly  gentlemen,  with  canes;  at 
whose  appearance  the  natives,  here  and  there,  slink  into 
their  huts.  These  are  the  missionaries,  their  wives,  and 
children,  taking  a  family  airing.  Sometimes,  by  the 
by,  they  take  horse,  and  ride  down  to  Point  Venus  and 
back ;  a  distance  of  several  miles.  At  this  place  is  set- 
tled the  only  survivor  of  the  first  missionaries  that 
landed — an  old,  white-headed,  saint-like  man,  by  the 
name  of  Wilson,  the  father  of  our  friend  the  consul. 

The  little  parties  on  foot  were  frequently  encountered ; 
and,  recalling,  as  they  did,  so  many  pleasant  recollec- 
tions of  home  and  the  ladies,  I  really  longed  for  a  dress- 
coat  and  beaver,  that  I  might  step  up  and  pay  my 
respects.  But,  situated  as  I  was,  this  was  out  of  the 
question.  On  one  occasion,  however,  I  received  a  kind 
inquisitive  glance  from  a  matron  in  gingham.  Sweet 
lady!  I  have  not  forgotten  her:  her  gown  was  a  plaid. 

But  a  glance,  like  hers,  was  not  always  bestowed. 

One  evening,  passing  the  verandah  of  a  missionary's 
dwelling,  the  dame,  his  wife,  and  a  pretty  blonde  young 
girl,  with  ringlets,  were  sitting  there,  enjoying  the  sea- 
breeze,  then  coming  in,  all  cool  and  refreshing,  from  the 
spray  of  the  reef.  As  I  approached,  the  old  lady  peered 
hard  at  me ;  and  her  very  cap  seemed  to  convey  a  prim 
rebuke.  The  blue,  English  eyes,  by  her  side,  were  also 
bent  on  me.  But,  oh  Heavens  Iwhat  a  glance  to  receive 
from  such  a  beautiful  creature!  As  for  the  mob  cap, 
not  a  fig  did  I  care  for  it ;  but,  to  be  taken  for  any  thing 
but  a  cavalier,  by  the  ringletted  one,  was  absolutely 
unendurable. 


190  OMOO. 

I  resolved  on  a  courteous  salute,  to  show  my  good 
breeding,  if  nothing  more.  But  happening  to  wear  a  sort 
of  turban  —  hereafter  to  be  particularly  alluded  to  — 
there  was  no  taking  it  off  and  putting  it  on  again  with 
any  thing  like  dignity.  At  any  rate,  then,  here  goes  a 
bow.  But  another  difficulty  presented  itself:  my  loose 
frock  was  so  voluminous,  that  I  doubted  whether  any 
spinal  curvature  would  be  perceptible. 

"Good-evening,  ladies,"  exclaimed  I,  at  last,  advan- 
cing winningly;  "a  delightful  air  from  the  sea,  ladies." 

Hysterics  and  hartshorn!  who  would  have  thought  it? 
The  young  lady  screamed,  and  the  old  one  came  near 
fainting.  As  for  myself,  I  retreated,  in  double-quick 
time ;  and  scarcely  drew  breath,  until  safely  housed  in 
the  Calabooza. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

CATHEDRAL  OF  PAPOAR. — THE  CHURCH  OF  THE 
COCOA-NUTS. 

On  Sundays  I  always  attended  the  principal  native 
church  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  of  Papeetee,  and 
not  far  from  Calabooza  Beretanee.  It  was  esteemed 
the  best  specimen  of  architecture  in  Tahiti. 

Of  late,  they  have  built  their  places  of  worship  with 
more  reference  to  durability  than  formerly.  At  one 
time  there  were  no  less  than  thirty-six  on  the  island  — 
mere  barns,  tied  together  with  thongs,  which  went  to 
destruction  in  a  very  few  years. 

One,  built  many  years  ago  in  this  style,  was  a  most 


CATHEDRAL   OF  PAPOAE.  191 

remarkable  structure.  It  was  erected  by  Pomaree  II., 
who,  on  this  occasion,  showed  all  the  zeal  of  a  royal 
proselyte.  The  building  was  over  seven  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  of  a  proportionate  width  ;  the  vast  ridge- 
pole was,  at  intervals,  supported  by  a  row  of  thirty-six 
cylindrical  trunks  of  the  bread-fruit  tree ;  and,  all 
around,  the  wall-plates  rested  on  shafts  of  the  palm. 
The  roof  —  steeply  inclining  to  within  a  man's  height 
of  the  ground  —  was  thatched  with  leaves,  and  the  sides 
of  the  edifice  were  open.  Thus  spacious  was  the  Royal 
Mission  Chapel  of  Papoar. 

At  its  dedication,  three  distinct  sermons  were,  from 
different  pulpits,  preached  to  an  immense  concourse 
gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  island. 

As  the  chapel  was  built  by  the  king's  command,  nearly 
as  great  a  multitude  was  employed  in  its  construction  as 
swarmed  over  the  scaffolding  of  the  great  temple  of  the 
Jews.  Much  less  time,  however,  was  expended.  In 
less  than  three  weeks  from  planting  the  first  post,  the 
last  tier  of  palmetto-leaves  drooped  from  the  eaves,  and 
the  work  was  done. 

Apportioned  to  the  several  chiefs  and  their  depend- 
ents, the  labour,  though  immense,  was  greatly  facilitated 
by  every  one's  bringing  his  post,  or  his  rafter,  or  his 
pole  strung  with  thatching,  ready  for  instant  use.  The 
materials  thus  prepared  being  afterward  secured  to- 
gether by  thongs,  there  was  literally  "  neither  hammer, 
nor  axe,  nor  any  tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house  while 
it  was  building." 

But  the  most  singular  circumstance  connected  with 
this  South  Sea  cathedral  remains  to  be  related.  As  well 
for  the  beauty  as  the  advantages  of  such  a  site,  the 
islanders  love  to  dwell  near  the  mountain  streams  ;  and 
so,  a  considerable  brook,  after  descending  from  the  hills 


192  ouoo. 

and  watering  the  valley,  was  bridged  over  in  three 
places,  and  swept  clean  through  the  chapel. 

Flowing  waters  !  what  an  acompaniment  to  the  songs 
of  the  sanctuary  ;  mingling  with  them  the  praises  and 
thanksgivings  of  the  green  solitudes  inland. 

But  the  chapel  of  the  Polynesian  Solomon  has  long 
since  been  deserted.  Its  thousand  rafters  of  hibiscus 
have  decayed,  and  fallen  to  the  ground ;  and  now  the 
stream  murmurs  over  them  in  its  bed. 

The  present  metropolitan  church  of  Tahiti  is  very 
unlike  the  one  just  described.  It  is  of  moderate  dimen- 
sions, boarded  over,  and  painted  white.  It  is  furnished, 
also,  with  blinds,  but  no  sashes  ;  indeed,  were  it  not  for 
the  rustic  thatch,  it  would  remind  one  of  a  plain  chapel 
at  home. 

The  wood-work  was  all  done  by  foreign  carpenters,  of 
whom  there  are  always  several  about  Papeetee. 

Within,  its  aspect  is  unique,  and  cannot  fail  to  inter- 
est a  stranger.  The  rafters  overhead  are  bound  round 
with  fine  matting  of  variegated  dyes  ;  and  all  along  the 
ridge-pole,  these  strappings  hang  pendent,  in  alternate 
bunches  of  tassels  and  deep  fringes  of  stained  grass. 
The  floor  is  composed  of  rude  planks.  Regular  aisles 
run  between  ranges  of  native  settees,  bottomed  with 
crossed  braids  of  the  cocoa-nut  fibre,  and  furnished  with 
backs. 

But  the  pulpit,  made  of  a  dark,  lustrous  wood,  and 
standing  at  one  end,  is  by  far  the  most  striking  object. 
It  is  preposterously  lofty :  indeed,  a  capital  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  congregation  ought  to  be  had  from  its 
summit. 

Nor  does  the  church  lack  a  gallery,  which  runs  round 
on  three  sides,  and  is  supported  by  columns  of  the  cocoa- 
nut  tree. 


CATHEDRAL   OF  PAPOAR.  193 

Its  facings  are  here  and  there  daubed  over  with  a 
tawdry  bine  ;  and  in  other  places  (without  the  slightest 
regard  to  uniformity),  patches  of  the  same  colour  may 
be  seen.  In  their  ardour  to  decorate  the  sanctuary,  the 
converts  must  have  borrowed  each  a  brush  full  of  paint, 
and  zealously  daubed  away  at  the  first  surface  that 
offered. 

As  hinted,  the  general  impression  is  extremely  curious. 
Little  light  being  admitted,  and  everything  being  of  a 
dark  colour,  there  is  an  indefinable  Indian  aspect  of 
duskiness  throughout.  A  strange,  woody  smell,  also  — 
more  or  less  pervading  every  considerable  edifice  in 
Polynesia  —  is  at  once  perceptible.  It  suggests  the 
idea  of  worm-eaten  idols  packed  away  in  some  old 
lumber-room  at  hand. 

For  the  most  part,  the  congregation  attending  this 
church  is  composed  of  the  better  and  wealthier  orders 
—  the  chiefs  and  their  retainers ;  in  short,  the  rank  and 
fashion  of  the  island.  This  class  is  infinitely  superior 
in  personal  beauty  and  general  healthfulness  to  the 
"  marenhoar,"  or  common  people ;  the  latter  having 
been  more  exposed  to  the  worst  and  most  debasing  evils 
of  foreign  intercourse.  On  Sundays,  the  former  are 
invariably  arrayed  in  their  finery  ;  and  thus  appear  to 
the  best  advantage.  Nor  are  they  driven  to  the  chapel, 
as  some  of  their  inferiors  are  to  other  places  of  worship ; 
on  the  contrary,  capable  of  maintaining  a  handsome 
exterior,  and  possessing  greater  intelligence,  they  go 
voluntarily. 

In  respect  of  the  woodland  colonnade  supporting  its 
galleries,  I  called  this  chapel  the  Church  of  the  Cocoa- 
nuts. 

It  was  the  first  place  for  Christian  worship  in  Poly- 
nesia that  I  had  seen  ;  and  the  impression  upon  entering 


194  omoo. 

during  service  was  all  the  stronger.  Majestic-looking 
chiefs,  whose  fathers  had  hurled  the  battle-club,  and  old 
men  who  had  seen  sacrifices  smoking  upon  the  altars  of 
Oro,  were  there.  And  hark !  hanging  from  the  bough  of 
a  bread-fruit  tree  without,  a  bell  is  being  struck  with  a 
bar  of  iron  by  a  native  lad.  Id  the  same  spot,  the  blast 
of  the  war-conch  had  often  resounded.  But  to  the 
proceedings  within. 

The  place  is  well  filled.  Everywhere  meet  the  eye 
the  gay  calico  draperies  worn  on  great  occasions  by  the 
higher  classes,  and  forming  a  strange  contrast  of  pat- 
terns and  colours.  In  some  instances,  these  are  so 
fashioned  as  to  resemble  as  much  as  possible  European 
garments.  This  is  in  excessively  bad  taste.  Coats  and 
pantaloons,  too,  are  here  and  there  seen  ;  but  they  look 
awkwardly  enough,  and  take  away  the  general  effect. 

But  it  is  the  array  of  countenances  that  most  strikes 
you.  Each  is  suffused  with  the  peculiar  animation  of 
the  Polynesians,  when  thus  collected  in  large  numbers. 
Every  robe  is  rustling,  every  limb  in  motion,  and  an 
incessant  buzzing  going  on  throughout  the  assembly. 
The  tumult  is  so  great,  that  the  voice  of  the  placid  old 
missionary,  who  now  rises,  is  almost  inaudible.  Some 
degree  of  silence  is  at  length  obtained  through  the 
exertions  of  half-a-dozen  strapping  fellows,  in  white 
shirts  and  no  pantaloons.  Running  in  among  the 
settees,  they  are  at  great  pains  to  inculcate  the  impro- 
priety of  making  a  noise,  by  creating  a  most  unneces- 
sary racket  themselves.  This  part  of  the  service  was 
quite  comical. 

There  is  a  most  interesting  Sabbath  school  connected 
with  the  church  ;  and  the  scholars,  a  vivacious,  mis- 
chievous set,  were  in  one  part  of  the  gallery.  I  was 
amused  by  a  party  in  a  corner.     The  teacher  sat  at  one 


A  MISSIONARY'S  SERMON.  195 

end  of  the  bench,  with  a  meek  little  fellow  by  his  side. 
When  the  others  were  disorderly,  this  young  martyr 
received  a  rap  ;  intended,  probably,  as  a  sample  of  what 
the  rest  might  expect,  if  they  didn't  mend. 

Standing  in  the  body  of  the  church,  and  leaning 
against  a  pillar,  was  an  old  man,  in  appearance  very 
different  from  others  of  his  countrymen.  He  wore 
nothing  but  a  coarse,  scant  mantle,  of  faded  tappa  ;  and 
from  his  staring,  bewildered  manner,  I  set  him  down  as 
an  aged  bumpkin  from  the  interior,  unaccustomed  to  the 
strange  sights  and  sounds  of  the  metropolis.  This  old 
worthy  was  sharply  reprimanded  for  standing  up,  and 
thus  intercepting  the  view  of  those  behind ;  but  not 
comprehending  exactly  what  was  said  to  him,  one  of  the 
white  liveried  gentry  made  no  ceremony  of  grasping  him 
by  the  shoulders,  and  fairly  crushing  him  down  into  a 
seat. 

During  all  this,  the  old  missionary  in  the  pulpit  —  as 
well  as  his  associates  beneath,  never  ventured  to  inter- 
fere —  leaving  everything  to  native  management.  With 
South  Sea  islanders,  assembled  in  any  numbers,  there  is 
no  other  way  of  getting  along. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

A  MISSIONARY'S   SERMON  ;   WITH   SOME  REFLECTIONS. 

Some  degree  of  order  at  length  restored,  the  service 
was  continued,  by  singing.  The  choir  was  composed  of 
twelve  or  fifteen  ladies  of  the  mission,  occupying  a  long 
bench  to  the  left  of  the  pulpit.  Almost  the  entire  con- 
gregation joined  in. 


196  omoo. 

The  first  air  fairly  startled  me  ;  it  was  the  brave  tune 
of  Old  Hundred,  adapted  to  a  Tahitian  psalm.  After 
the  graceless  scenes  I  had  recently  passed  through,  this 
circumstance,  with  all  its  accessories,  moved  me  forcibly. 

Many  voices  around  were  of  great  sweetness  and  com- 
pass. The  singers,  also,  seemed  to  enjoy  themselves 
mightily ;  some  of  them  pausing,  now  and  then,  and 
looking  round,  as  if  to  realise  the  scene  more  fully.  In 
truth,  they  sang  right  joyously,  despite  the  solemnity  of 
the  tune. 

The  Tahitians  have  much  natural  talent  for  singing ; 
and,  on  all  occasions,  are  exceedingly  fond  of  it.  I  have 
often  heard  a  stave  or  two  of  psalmody,  hummed  over 
by  rakish  young  fellows,  like  a  snatch  from  an  opera. 

With  respect  to  singing,  as  in  most  other  matters,  the 
Tahitians  widely  differ  from  the  people  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands  ;  where  the  parochial  flocks  may  be  said  rather 
to  bleat  than  sing. 

The  psalm  concluded,  a  prayer  followed.  Very  con- 
siderately, the  good  old  missionary  made  it  short ;  for  the 
congregation  became  fidgety  and  inattentive  as  soon  as 
it  commenced. 

A  chapter  of  the  Tahitian  Bible  was  now  read ;  a  text 
selected,  and  the  sermon  began.  It  was  listened  to  with 
more  attention  than  I  had  anticipated. 

Having  been  informed,  from  various  sources,  that  the 
discourses  of  the  missionaries,  being  calculated  to  engage 
the  attention  of  their  simple  auditors,  were,  naturally 
enough,  of  a  rather  amusing  description  to  strangers ;  in 
short,  that  they  had  much  to  say  about  steamboats,  lord 
mayors'  coaches,  and  the  way  fires  are  put  out  in  Lon- 
don, I  had  taken  care  to  provide  myself  with  a  good  in- 
terpreter, in  the  person  of  an  intelligent  Hawaiian  sailor, 
whose  acquaintance  I  had  made. 


A  MISSIONARY'S   SERMON.  197 

"Now,  Jack,"  said  I,  before  entering,  "hear  every 
word,  and  tell  me  what  you  can,  as  the  missionary  goes 
on." 

Jack's  was  not,  perhaps,  a  critical  version  of  the  dis- 
course ;  and,  at  the  time,  I  took  no  notes  of  what  he 
said.  Nevertheless,  I  will  here  venture  to  give  what  I 
remember  of  it ;  and,  as  far  as  possible,  in  Jack's  phrase- 
ology, so  as  to  lose  nothing  by  a  double  translation. 

"  Good  friends,  I  glad  to  see  you ;  and  I  very  well 
like  to  have  some  talk  with  you  to-day.  Good  friends, 
very  bad  times  in  Tahiti ;  it  make  me  weep.  Pomaree 
is  gone  —  the  island  no  more  yours,  but  the  Wee-Wee's 
(French).  Wicked  priests  here,  too ;  and  wicked  idols 
in  woman's  clothes,  and  brass  chains.1 

"  Good  friends,  no  you  speak,  or  look  at  them  —  but  I 
know  you  won't  —  they  belong  to  a  set  of  robbers  —  the 
wicked  Wee-Wees.  Soon  these  bad  men  be  made  to  go 
very  quick.  Beretanee  ships  of  thunder  come,  and 
away  they  go.  But  no  more  'bout  this  now.  I  speak 
more  by  by. 

"  Good  friends,  many  whale-ships  here  now ;  and  many 
bad  men  come  in  'em.  No  good  sailors  living  —  that 
you  know  very  well.  They  come  here,  'cause  so  bad 
they  no  keep  'em  home. 

"  My  good  little  girls,  no  run  after  sailors  —  no  go  where 
they  go ;  they  harm  you.  Where  they  come  from  no 
good  people  talk  to  'em  —  just  like  dogs.  Here,  they 
talk  to  Pomaree,  and  drink  arva  with  great  Poofai.2 

"  Good  friends,  this  very  small  island,  but  very  wicked, 
and  very  poor  ;  these  two  go  together.  Why  Beretanee 
so  great?     Because  that  island  good  island,  and  send 

1  Meaning  the  snowy  image  of  the  Virgin  in  the  little  Catholic  chapel. 

2  The  word  "  arva,"  as  here  employed,  means  brandy.  Poofai  was  one 
of  the  highest  chiefs  on  the  island,  and  a  jolly  companion. 


198  omoo. 

mickonaree  1  to  poor  kanaka.2  In  Beretanee,  every  man 
rich :  plenty  things  to  bny ;  and  plenty  things  to  sell. 
Houses  bigger  than  Pomaree's,  and  more  grand.  Every- 
body, too,  ride  about  in  coaches,  bigger  than  hers ; 3  and 
wear  fine  tappa  every  day.  (Several  luxurious  appli- 
ances of  civilisation  were  here  enumerated,  and  de- 
scribed.) 

"  Good  friends,  little  to  eat  left  at  my  house.  Schooner 
from  Sydney  no  bring  bag  of  flour ;  and  kanaka  no  bring 
pig  and  fruit  enough.  Mickonaree  do  great  deal  for 
kanaka ;  kanaka  do  little  for  mickonaree.  So,  good 
friends,  weave  plenty  of  cocoa-nut  baskets,  fill  'em,  and 
bring  'em  to-morrow." 

Such  was  the  substance  of  great  part  of  this  discourse ; 
and,  whatever  may  be  thought  of  it,  it  was  specially 
adapted  to  the  minds  of  the  islanders  ;  who  are  suscepti- 
ble to  no  impressions,  except  from  things  palpable,  or 
novel  and  striking.  To  them,  a  dry  sermon  would  be 
dry  indeed. 

The  Tahitians  can  hardly  ever  be  said  to  reflect :  they 
are  all  impulse  ;  and  so,  instead  of  expounding  dogmas, 
the  missionaries  give  them  the  large  type,  pleasing  cuts, 
and  short  and  easy  lessons  of  the  primer.  Hence,  any 
thing  like  a  permanent  religious  impression  is  seldom  or 
never  produced. 

In  fact,  there  is,  perhaps,  no  race  upon  earth  less  dis- 
posed by  nature  to  the  monitions  of  Christianity  than 


1  This  word,  evidently  a  corruption  of  "missionary,"  is  used  under 
various  significations  by  the  natives.  Sometimes,  it  is  applied  to  a  com- 
municant of  the  Church.    But,  above,  it  has  its  original  meaning. 

2  A  word  generally  used  by  foreigners  to  designate  the  natives  of  Poly- 
nesia. 

3  Pomaree,  some  time  previous,  had  received  a  present  of  a  chariot 
from  Queen  Victoria.  It  was  afterwards  sent  to  Oahu  (Sandwich  Islands), 
and  there  sold  to  pay  her  debts. 


A  MISSIONARY'S  SERMON.  199 

the  people  of  the  South  Sea.  And  this  assertion  is  made 
with  full  knowledge  of  what  is  called  the  "  Great  Revi- 
val at  the  Sandwich  Islands,"  about  the  year  1836 ; 
when  several  thousands  were,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  admitted  into  the  bosom  of  the  Church.  But 
this  result  was  brought  about  by  no  sober  moral  convic- 
tions ;  as  an  almost  instantaneous  relapse  into  every 
kind  of  licentiousness  soon  afterwards  testified.  It  was 
the  legitimate  effect  of  a  morbid  feeling,  engendered  by 
the  sense  of  severe  physical  wants,  preying  upon  minds 
excessively  prone  to  superstition ;  and  by  fanatical 
preaching,  inflamed  into  the  belief,  that  the  gods  of  the 
missionaries  were  taking  vengeance  upon  the  wickedness 
of  the  land.1 

It  is  a  noteworthy  fact,  that  those  very  traits  in  the 
Tahitians  which  induced  the  London  Missionary  Society 
to  regard  them  as  the  most  promising  subjects  for  con- 
version, and  which  led,  moreover,  to  the  selection  of  their 
island  as  the  very  first  field  for  missionary  labour,  event- 
ually proved  the  most  serious  obstruction.  An  air  of 
softness  in  their  manners,  great  apparent  ingenuousness 
and  docility,  at  first  misled ;  but  these  were  the  mere 
accompaniments  of  an  indolence,  bodily  and  mental ;  a 
constitutional  voluptuousness  ;  and  an  aversion  to  the 
least  restraint ;  which,  however  fitted  for  the  luxurious 
state  of  nature,  in  the  tropics,  are  the  greatest  possible 
hindrances  to  the  strict  moralities  of  Christianity. 

Added  to  all  this,  is  a  quality  inherent  in  Polynesians ; 
and  more  akin  to  hypocrisy  than  any  thing  else.  It  leads 
them  to  assume  the  most  passionate  interest  in  matters 
for  which  they  really  feel  little  or  none  whatever,  but  in 
which  those  whose  power  they  dread,  or  whose  favour 

1  At  this  period,  many  of  the  population  were  upon  the  verge  of  starva- 
tion. 


200  omoo. 

they  court,  they  believe  to  be  at  all  affected.  Thus,  in 
their  heathen  state,  the  Sandwich  Islanders  actually 
knocked  out  their  teeth,  tore  their  hair,  and  mangled  their 
bodies  with  shells,  to  testify  their  inconsolable  grief  at  the 
demise  of  a  high  chief,  or  member  of  the  royal  family. 
And  yet,  Vancouver  relates,  that,  on  such  an  occasion, 
upon  which  he  happened  to  be  present,  those  apparently 
the  most  abandoned  to  their  feelings,  immediately  as- 
sumed the  utmost  light-heartedness,  on  receiving  the 
present  of  a  penny  whistle,  or  a  Dutch  looking-glass. 
Similar  instances,  also,  have  come  under  my  own  obser- 
vation. 

The  following  is  an  illustration  of  the  trait  alluded  to, 
as  occasionally  manifested  among  the  converted  Polyne- 
sians. 

At  one  of  the  Society  Islands  —  Raiatea,  I  believe  — 
the  natives,  for  special  reasons,  desired  to  commend 
themselves  particularly  to  the  favour  of  the  missionaries. 
Accordingly,  during  divine  service,  many  of  them  be- 
haved in  a  manner  otherwise  unaccountable,  and  pre- 
cisely similar  to  their  behaviour  as  heathens.  They 
pretended  to  be  wrought  up  to  madness  by  the  preaching 
which  they  heard.  They  rolled  their  eyes  ;  foamed  at 
the  mouth  ;  fell  down  in  fits ;  and  so  were  carried  home. 
Yet,  strange  to  relate,  all  this  was  deemed  the  evidence 
of  the  power  of  the  Most  High  ;  and,  as  such,  was  her- 
alded abroad. 

But,  to  return  to  the  Church  of  the  Cocoa-nuts.  The 
blessing  pronounced,  the  congregation  disperse  ;  enliv- 
ening the  Broom  Road  with  their  waving  mantles.  On 
either  hand,  they  disappear  down  the  shaded  pathways, 
which  lead  off  from  the  main  route,  conducting  to 
hamlets  in  the  groves,  or  to  the  little  marine  villas  upon 
the   beach.     There   is   considerable   hilarity;  and  you 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  KANNAKIPPERS.  201 

would  suppose  them  just  from  an  old-fashioned  "  hevar," 
or  jolly  heathen  dance.  Those  who  carry  Bibles,  swing 
them  carelessly  from  their  arms,  by  cords  of  sinnate. 

The  Sabbath  is  no  ordinary  day  with  the  Tahitians. 
So  far  as  doing  any  work  is  concerned,  it  is  scrupulously 
observed.  The  canoes  are  hauled  up  on  the  beach ;  the 
nets  are  spread  to  dry.  Passing  by  the  hen-coop  huts, 
on  the  roadside,  you  find  their  occupants  idle,  as  usual ; 
but  less  disposed  to  gossip.  After  service,  repose 
broods  over  the  whole  island;  the  valleys  reaching 
inland  look  stiller  than  ever. 

In  short,  it  is  Sunday  —  their  "  Taboo  Day ;  "  the 
very  word,  formerly  expressing  the  sacredness  of  their 
pagan  observances,  now  proclaiming  the  sanctity  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath. 


CHAPTER  XL VI. 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE   KANNAKIPPERS. 

A  WORTHY  young  man,  formerly  a  friend  of  mine  (I 
speak  of  Kooloo  with  all  possible  courtesy,  since  after 
our  intimacy  there  would  be  an  impropriety  in  doing 
otherwise)  —  this  worthy  youth,  having  some  genteel 
notions  of  retirement,  dwelt  in  a  "  maroo  boro,"  or  bread- 
fruit shade,  a  pretty  nook  in  a  wood,  midway  between 
the  Calabooza  Beretanee  and  the  Church  of  Cocoa-nuts. 
Hence,  at  the  latter  place,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
regular  worshippers. 

Kooloo  was  a  blade.  Standing  up  in  the  congrega- 
tion in  all  the  bravery  of  a  striped  calico  shirt,  with  the 
skirts   rakishly    adjusted   over   a   pair   of   white  sailor 


202  omoo. 

trousers,  and  hair  well  anointed  with  cocoa-nut  oil,  he 
ogled  the  ladies  with  an  air  of  supreme  satisfaction. 
Nor  were  his  glances  unreturned. 

But  such  looks  as  the  Tahitian  belles  cast  at  each 
other :  frequently  turning  up  their  noses  at  the  advent 
of  a  new  cotton  mantle  recently  imported  in  the  chest 
of  some  amorous  sailor.  Upon  one  occasion,  I  observed 
a  group  of  young  girls,  in  tunics  of  coarse,  soiled  sheet- 
ing, disdainfully  pointing  at  a  damsel  in  a  naming  red 
one.  "  Oee  tootai  owree !  "  said  they  with  ineffable 
scorn,  "  itai  maitai !  "  (you  are  a  good-for-nothing  huzzy, 
no  better  than  you  should  be). 

Now,  Kooloo  communed  with  the  church ;  so  did  all 
these  censorious  young  ladies.  Yet,  after  eating  bread- 
fruit at  the  Eucharist,  I  knew  several  of  them,  the  same 
night,  to  be  guilty  of  some  sad  derelictions. 

Puzzled  by  these  things,  I  resolved  to  find  out,  if  pos- 
sible, what  ideas,  if  any,  they  entertained  of  religion ; 
but  as  one's  spiritual  concerns  are  rather  delicate  for  a 
stranger  to  meddle  with,  I  went  to  work  as  adroitly  as 
I  could. 

Farnow,  an  old  native  who  had  recently  retired  from 
active  pursuits,  having  thrown  up  the  business  of  being 
a  sort  of  running  footman  to  the  queen,  had  settled 
down  in  a  snug  little  retreat,  not  fifty  rods  from  Captain 
Bob's.  His  selecting  our  vicinity  for  his  residence,  may 
have  been  with  some  view  to  the  advantages  it  afforded 
for  introducing  his  three  daughters  into  polite  circles. 
At  any  rate,  not  averse  to  receiving  the  attentions  of 
so  devoted  a  gallant  as  the  doctor,  the  sisters  (com- 
municants, be  it  remembered)  kindly  extended  to  him 
free  permission  to  visit  them  sociably  whenever  he 
pleased. 

We  dropped  in  one  evening,  and  found  the  ladies  at 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  KANNAKIPPERS.  203 

home.  My  long  friend  engaged  his  favourites,  the  two 
younger  girls,  at  the  game  of  "  Now,"  or  hunting  a  stone 
under  three  piles  of  tappa.  For  myself,  I  lounged  on  a 
mat  with  Ideea,  the  eldest,  dallying  with  her  grass  fan, 
and  improving  my  knowledge  of  Tahitian. 

The  occasion  was  well  adapted  to  my  purpose,  and  I 
began. 

"  Ah,  Ideea,  mickonaree  oee  ?  "  the  same  as  drawling 
out  —  "  By  the  by,  Miss  Ideea,  do  you  belong  to  the 
church  ?  " 

"  Yes,  me  mickonaree,"  was  the  reply. 

But  the  assertion  was  at  once  qualified  by  certain 
reservations  ;  so  curious,  that  I  cannot  forbear  their 
relation. 

"  Mickonaree  ena  "  (church  member  here),  exclaimed 
she,  laying  her  hand  upon  her  mouth,  and  a  strong  em- 
phasis on  the  adverb.  In  the  same  way,  and  with  simi- 
lar exclamations,  she  touched  her  eyes  and  hands. 
This  done,  her  whole  air  changed  in  an  instant ;  and  she 
gave  me  to  understand,  by  unmistakable  gestures,  that 
in  certain  other  respects  she  was  not  exactly  a  "  micko- 
naree."    In  short,  Ideea  was 

"A  sad  good  Christian  at  the  heart  — 
A  very  heathen  in  the  carnal  part."  1 

The  explanation  terminated  in  a  burst  of  laughter,  in 
which  all  three  sisters  joined ;  and,  for  fear  of  looking 
silly,  the  doctor  and  myself,  as  soon  as  good  breeding 
would  permit,  took  leave. 

The  hypocrisy  in  matters  of  religion,  so  apparent  in 

all  Polynesian  converts,  is  most  injudiciously  nourished 

in  Tahiti,  by  a  zealous  and,  in  many  cases,  a  coercive 

superintendence  over  their  spiritual  well-being.     But  it 

1  Pope  (Epistle  to  a  Lady). 


204  omoo. 

is  only  manifested  with  respect  to  the  common  people, 
their  superiors  being  exempted. 

On  Sunday  mornings,  when  the  prospect  is  rather 
small  for  a  full  house  in  the  minor  churches,  a  parcel  of 
fellows  are  actually  sent  out  with  rattans  into  the  high- 
ways and  byways  as  whippers-in  of  the  congregation. 
This  is  a  sober  fact.1 

These  worthies  constitute  a  religious  police ;  and  you 
always  know  them  by  the  great  white  diapers  they  wear. 
On  week  days,  they  are  quite  as  busy  as  on  Sundays  ; 
to  the  great  terror  of  the  inhabitants,  going  all  over  the 
island,  and  spying  out  the  wickedness  thereof. 

Moreover,  they  are  the  collectors  of  fines  —  levied 
generally  in  grass  mats  —  for  obstinate  non-attendance 
upon  divine  worship,  and  other  offences  amenable  to  the 
ecclesiastical  judicature  of  the  missionaries. 

Old  Bob  called  these  fellows  "  kannakippers,"  a  cor- 
ruption, I  fancy,  of  our  word  constable. 

He  bore  them  a  bitter  grudge  ;  and  one  day,  drawing 
near  home,  and  learning  that  two  of  them  were  just 
then  making  a  domiciliary  visit  at  his  house,  he  ran 
behind  a  bush  ;  and  as  they  came  forth,  two  green  bread- 
fruit from  a  hand  unseen  took  them  each  between  the 
shoulders.  The  sailors  in  the  Calabooza  were  witnesses 
to  this,  as  well  as  several  natives ;  who,  when  the  intru- 
ders were  out  of  sight,  applauded  Captain  Bob's  spirit  in 
no  measured  terms  ;  the  ladies  present  vehemently  join- 
ing in.  Indeed,  the  kannakippers  have  no  greater  ene- 
mies than  the  latter.  And  no  wonder  :  the  impertinent 
varlets,  popping  into  their  houses  at  all  hours,  are  for- 
ever prying  into  their  peccadilloes. 

1  With  abhorrence  and  disgust  the  custom  is  alluded  to  by  a  late 
benevolent  visitor  at  the  island.  See  page  763  of  the  "  Memoirs  of  the 
Life  and  Gospel  Labours  of  the  late  Daniel  Wheeler."  A  work  hereafter 
to  be  more  particularly  alluded  to. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  KANNAKIPPERS.         205 

Kooloo,  who  at  times  was  patriotic  and  pensive,  and 
mourned  the  evils  under  which  his  country  was  groan- 
ing, frequently  inveighed  against  the  statute  which  thus 
authorised  an  utter  stranger  to  interfere  with  domestic 
arrangements.  He  himself —  quite  a  ladies'  man  —  had 
often  been  annoyed  thereby.  He  considered  the  kanna- 
kippers  a  bore. 

Besides  their  confounded  inquisitiveness,  they  add 
insult  to  injury,  by  making  a  point  of  dining  out  every 
day  at  some  hut  within  the  limits  of  their  jurisdiction. 
As  for  the  gentleman  of  the  house,  his  meek  endurance 
of  these  things  is  amazing.  But,  "  good  easy  man,"  there 
is  nothing  for  him  but  to  be  as  hospitable  as  possible. 

These  gentry  are  indefatigable.  At  the  dead  of  night 
prowling  round  the  houses,  and  in  the  daytime  hunting 
amorous  couples  in  the  groves.  Yet  in  one  instance  the 
chase  completely  baffled  them. 

It  was  thus  :  — 

Several  weeks  previous  to  our  arrival  at  the  island, 
some  one's  husband  and  another  person's  wife,  having 
taken  a  mutual  fancy  for  each  other,  went  out  for  a 
walk.  The  alarm  was  raised,  and  with  hue  and  cry  they 
were  pursued;  but  nothing  was  seen  of  them  again 
until  the  lapse  of  some  ninety  days,  when  we  were 
called  out  from  the  Calabooza  to  behold  a  great  mob  en- 
closing the  lovers,  and  escorting  them  for  trial  to  the 
village. 

Their  appearance  was  most  singular.  The  girdle  ex- 
cepted, they  were  quite  naked ;  their  hair  was  long, 
burned  yellow  at  the  ends,  and  entangled  with  burs  ; 
and  their  bodies  scratched  and  scarred  in  all  directions. 
It  seems,  that  acting  upon  the  "  love-in-a-cottage  "  prin- 
ciple, they  had  gone  right  into  the  interior ;  and  throw- 
ing up  a  hut  in  an  uninhabited  valley,  had  lived  there, 


206  OMOO. 

until  in  an  unlucky  stroll,  they  were  observed  and  cap- 
tured. 

They  were  subsequently  condemned  to  make  one 
hundred  fathoms  of  Broom  Road  —  a  six  months'  work 
if  not  more. 

Often,  when  seated  in  a  house,  conversing  quietly 
with  its  inmates,  I  have  known  them  betray  the  greatest 
confusion  at  the  sudden  announcement  of  a  kannakip- 
per's  being  in  sight.  To  be  reported  by  one  of  these 
officials  as  a  "  Tootai  Owree"  (in  general,  signifying  a 
bad  person  or  disbeliever  in  Christianity)  is  as  much 
dreaded  as  the  forefinger  of  Titus  Oates  was,  levelled 
at  an  alleged  papist. 

But  the  islanders  take  a  sly  revenge  upon  them. 
Upon  entering  a  dwelling,  the  kannakippers  oftentimes 
volunteer  a  pharisaical  prayer  meeting  :  hence,  they  go 
in  secret  by  the  name  of  "  Boora-Artuas,"  literally, 
"  Pray-to-Gods." 


CHAPTER  XL VII. 

HOW   THEY  DRESS   IN  TAHITI. 

Except  where  the  employment  of  making  "  tappa  " 
is  inflicted  as  a  punishment,  the  echoes  of  the  cloth-mal- 
let have  long  since  died  away  in  the  listless  valleys  of 
Tahiti.  Formerly,  the  girls  spent  their  mornings  like 
ladies  at  their  tambour  frames ;  now,  they  are  lounged 
away  in  almost  utter  indolence.  True,  most  of  them 
make  their  own  garments  ;  but  this  comprises  but  a 
stitch  or  two  ;  the  ladies  of  the  mission,  by  the  by,  being 
entitled  to  the  credit  of  teaching  them  to  sew. 


HOW  THEY  DRESS  IN   TAHITI.  207 

The  "  kihee  whihenee,"  or  petticoat,  is  a  mere  breadth 
of  white  cotton,  or  calico  ;  loosely  enveloping  the  person 
from  the  waist  to  the  feet.  Fastened  simply,  by  a  single 
tuck,  or  by  twisting  the  upper  corners  together,  this 
garment  frequently  becomes  disordered  ;  thus  affording 
an  opportunity  of  being  coquettishly  adjusted.  Over 
the  "  kihee,"  they  wear  a  sort  of  gown,  open  in  front, 
very  loose,  and  as  negligent  as  you  please.  The  ladies 
here  never  dress  for  dinner. 

But  what  shall  be  said  of  those  horrid  hats  !  Fancy 
a  bunch  of  straw,  plaited  into  the  shape  of  a  coal  skut- 
tle,  and  stuck,  bolt  upright,  on  the  crown ;  with  a  yard 
or  two  of  red  ribbon,  flying  about  like  kite-strings. 
Milliners  of  Paris,  what  would  ye  say  to  them  !  Though 
made  by  the  natives,  they  are  said  to  have  been  first 
contrived  and  recommended  by  the  missionaries'  wives  ; 
a  report  which  I  really  trust  is  nothing  but  scandal. 

Curious  to  relate,  these  things  for  the  head  are  es- 
teemed exceedingly  becoming.  The  braiding  of  the 
straw  is  one  of  the  few  employments  of  the  higher 
classes  ;  all  of  which  but  minister  to  the  silliest  vanity. 
The  young  girls,  however,  wholly  eschew  the  hate ; 
leaving  those  dowdy  old  souls,  their  mothers,  to  make 
frights  of  themselves. 

As  for  the  men,  those  who  aspire  to  European  gar- 
ments seem  to  have  no  perception  of  the  relation  sub- 
sisting between  the  various  parts  of  a  gentleman's 
costume.  To  the  wearer  of  a  coat,  for  instance,  panta- 
loons are  by  no  means  indispensable  ;  and  a  bell-crowned 
hat  and  a  girdle  are  full  dress.  The  young  sailor,  for 
whom  Kooloo  deserted  me,  presented  him  with  a  shaggy 
old  pea-jacket ;  and,  with  this  buttoned  up  to  his  chin, 
under  a  tropical  sun,  he  promenaded  the  Broom  Road, 
quite  elated.     Doctor  Long  Ghost,  who  saw  him  thus, 


208  omoo. 

ran  away  with  the  idea  that  he  was  under  medical  treat- 
ment at  the  time  —  in  the  act  of  taking,  what  the 
quacks  call,  a  "sweat." 

A  bachelor  friend  of  Captain  Bob  rejoiced  in  the  pos- 
session of  a  full  European  suit;  in  which  he  often 
stormed  the  ladies'  hearts.  Having  a  military  leaning, 
he  ornamented  the  coat  with  a  great  scarlet  patch  on  the 
breast ;  and  mounted  it  also,  here  and  there,  with  several 
regimental  buttons,  slyly  cut  from  the  uniform  of  a  par- 
cel of  drunken  marines,  sent  ashore  on  a  holiday  from  a 
man-of-war.  But,  in  spite  of  the  ornaments,  the  dress 
was  not  exactly  the  thing.  From  the  tightness  of  the 
cloth  across  the  shoulders,  his  elbows  projected  from  his 
sides,  like  an  ungainly  rider's ;  and  his  ponderous  legs 
were  jammed  so  hard  into  his  slim,  nether  garments,  that 
the  threads  of  every  seam  showed ;  and  at  every  step 
you  looked  for  a  catastrophe. 

In  general,  there  seems  to  be  no  settled  style  of  dress- 
ing among  the  males  :  they  wear  anything  they  can  get ; 
in  some  cases,  awkwardly  modifying  the  fashions  of 
their  fathers,  so  as  to  accord  with  their  own  altered  views 
of  what  is  becoming. 

But  ridiculous  as  many  of  them  now  appear  in  foreign 
habiliments,  the  Tahitians  presented  a  far  different  ap- 
pearance in  the  original  national  costume ;  which  was 
graceful  in  the  extreme,  modest  to  all  but  the  prudish, 
and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  climate.  But  the  short 
kilts  of  dyed  tappa,  the  tasselled  maroes,  and  other  arti- 
cles formerly  worn,  are,  at  the  present  day,  prohibited 
by  law  as  indecorous.  For  what  reason  necklaces  and 
garlands  of  flowers,  among  the  women  were  also  forbid- 
den, I  never  could  learn ;  but  it  is  said  that  they  were 
associated,  in  some  way,  with  a  forgotten  heathen 
observance. 


HOW  THEY  DRESS  IN  TAHITI.  209 

Many  pleasant  and  seemingly  innocent  sports  and 
pastimes  are  likewise  interdicted.  In  old  times,  there 
were  several  athletic  games  practised,  such  as  wrestling, 
foot-racing,  throwing  the  javelin,  and  archery.  In  all 
these  they  greatly  excelled ;  and,  for  some,  splendid 
festivals  were  instituted.  Among  their  everyday  amuse- 
ments, were  dancing,  tossing  the  football,  kite-flying, 
flute-playing,  and  singing  traditional  ballads  —  now,  all 
punishable  offences  ;  though  most  of  them  have  been  so 
long  in  disuse  that  they  are  nearly  forgotten. 

In  the  same  way,  the  "  Opio,"  or  festive  harvest  home 
of  the  bread-fruit,  has  been  suppressed ;  though,  as  de- 
scribed to  me  by  Captain  Bob,  it  seemed  wholly  free 
from  any  immoral  tendency.  Against  tattooing  of  an}^ 
kind,  there  is  a  severe  law. 

That  this  abolition  of  their  national  amusements  and 
customs  was  not  willingly  acquiesced  in,  is  shown  in  the 
frequent  violation  of  many  of  the  statutes  inhibiting 
them ;  and,  especially,  in  the  frequency  with  which 
their  "  hevars,"  or  dances,  are  practised  in  secret. 

Doubtless,  in  thus  denationalising  the  Tahitians,  as  it 
were,  the  missionaries  were  prompted  by  a  sincere  desire 
for  good  ;  but  the  effect  has  been  lamentable.  Supplied 
with  no  amusements,  in  place  of  those  forbidden,  the 
Tahitians,  who  require  more  recreation  than  other  peo- 
ple, have  sunk  into  a  listlessness,  or  indulge  in  sensuali- 
ties, a  hundred  times  more  pernicious  than  all  the  games 
ever  celebrated  in,  the  Temple  of  Tanee. 


210  OMOO. 


CHAPTER   XLVIII. 

TAHITI   AS   IT   IS. 

As,  in  the  last  few  chapters,  several  matters  connected 
with  the  general  condition  of  the  natives  have  been 
incidentally  touched  upon,  it  may  be  well  not  to  leave 
so  important  a  subject  in  a  state  calculated  to  convey 
erroneous  impressions.  Let  us  bestow  upon  it,  there 
fore,  something  more  than  a  mere  cursory  glance. 

But,  in  the  first  place,  let  it  be  distinctly  understood, 
that  in  all  I  have  to  say  upon  this  subject,  both  here  and 
elsewhere,  I  mean  no  harm  to  the  missionaries,  nor  their 
cause  :  I  merely  desire  to  set  forth  things  as  they  actu- 
ally exist. 

Of  the  results  which  have  flowed  from  the  inter- 
course  of  foreigners  with  the  Polynesians,  including 
the  attempts  to  civilise  and  christianise  them  by  the 
missionaries,  Tahiti,  on  many  accounts,  is  obviously 
the  fairest  practical  example.  Indeed,  it  may  now  be 
asserted,  that  the  experiment  of  christianising  the  Tahi- 
tians,  and  improving  their  social  condition  by  the  intro- 
duction of  foreign  customs,  has  been  fully  tried.  The 
present  generation  have  grown  up  under  the  auspices  of 
their  religious  instructors.  And  although  it  may  be 
urged  that  the  labours  of  the  latter  have  at  times  been 
more  or  less  obstructed  by  unprincipled  foreigners,  still 
this  in  no  wise  renders  Tahiti  any  the  less  a  fair  illus- 
tration ;  for,  with  obstacles  like  these,  the  missionaries 
in  Polynesia  must  always  and  everywhere  struggle. 

Nearly  sixty  years  have  elapsed  since  the  Tahitian 
mission  was   started;    and   during   this   period   it  has 


TAHITI  AS  IT  IS.  211 

received  the  unceasing  prayers  and  contributions  of  its 
friends  abroad.  Nor  has  any  enterprise  of  the  kind 
called  forth  more  devotion  on  the  part  of  those  directly 
employed  in  it. 

It  matters  not,  that  the  earlier  labourers  in  the  work, 
although  strictly  conscientious,  were,  as  a  class,  ignorant, 
and,  in  many  cases,  deplorably  bigoted :  such  traits 
have,  in  some  degree,  characterised  the  pioneers  of  all 
faiths.  And  although,  in  zeal  and  disinterestedness, 
the  missionaries  now  on  the  island  are,  perhaps,  inferior 
to  their  predecessors,  they  have,  nevertheless,  in  their 
own  way  at  least,  laboured  hard  to  make  a  Christian 
people  of  their  charge. 

Let  us  now  glance  at  the  most  obvious  changes 
wrought  in  their  condition. 

The  entire  system  of  idolatry  has  been  done  away, 
together  with  several  barbarous  practices  engrafted 
thereon.  But  this  result  is  not  so  much  to  be  ascribed 
to  the  missionaries  as  to  the  civilising  effects  of  a  long 
and  constant  intercourse  with  whites  of  all  nations ; 
to  whom,  for  many  years,  Tahiti  has  been  one  of  the 
principal  places  of  resort  in  the  South  Seas.  At  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  the  potent  institution  of  the  Taboo, 
together  with  the  entire  paganism  of  the  land,  was 
utterly  abolished  by  a  voluntary  act  of  the  natives, 
some  time  previous  to  the  arrival  of  the  first  missiona- 
ries among  them. 

The  next  most  striking  change  in  the  Tahitians  is 
this.  From  the  permanent  residence  among  them  of 
influential  and  respectable  foreigners,  as  well  as  from 
the  frequent  visits  of  ships  of  war,  recognising  the 
nationality  of  the  island,  its  inhabitants  are  no  longer 
deemed  fit  subjects  for  the  atrocities  practised  upon 
mere  savages ;  and  hence,  secure  from  retaliation,  ves- 


212  omoo. 

sels  of  all  kinds  now  enter  their  harbours  with  perfect 

safety. 

But  let  us  consider  what  results  are  directly  ascriba- 
ble  to  the  missionaries  alone. 

In  all  cases,  they  have  striven  hard  to  mitigate  the 
evils  resulting  from  the  commerce  with  the  whites  in 
general.  Such  attempts,  however,  have  been  rather 
injudicious,  and  often  ineffectual :  in  truth,  a  barrier 
almost  insurmountable  is  presented  in  the  dispositions 
of  the  people  themselves.  Still,  in  this  respect,  the  mo- 
rality of  the  islanders  is,  upon  the  whole,  improved  by 
the  presence  of  the  missionaries. 

But  the  greatest  achievement  of  the  latter,  and  one 
which  in  itself  is  most  hopeful  and  gratifying,  is,  that 
they  have  translated  the  entire  Bible  into  the  language 
of  the  island;  and  I  have  myself  known  several  who 
were  able  to  read  it  with  facility.  They  have  also 
established  churches,  and  schools  for  both  children  and 
adults ;  the  latter,  I  regret  to  say,  are  now  much  neg- 
lected ;  which  must  be  ascribed,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
the  disorders  growing  out  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
French. 

It  were  unnecessary  here  to  enter  diffusely  into  mat- 
ters connected  with  the  internal  government  of  the 
Tahitian  churches  and  schools.  Nor,  upon  this  head, 
is  my  information  copious  enough  to  warrant  me  in  pre- 
senting details.  But  we  do  not  need  them.  We  are 
merely  considering  general  results,  as  made  apparent 
in  the  moral  and  religious  condition  of  the  island  at 
large. 

Upon  a  subject  like  this,  however,  it  would  be  alto- 
gether too  assuming  for  a  single  individual  to  decide ; 
and  so,  in  place  of  my  own  random  observations,  which 
may  be  found  elsewhere,  I  will  here  present  those  of 


TAHITI  AS  IT  18.  213 

several   known   authors,    made    under  various   circum- 
stances,  at  different  periods,  and  down  to  a  compara- 
tively late  date.     A  few  very  brief  extracts  will  enable  t 
the  reader  to  mark  for  himself  what  progressive  im- 
provement, if  any,  has  taken  place. 

Nor  must  it  be  overlooked,  that  of  these  authorities, 
the  two  first  in  order  are  largely  quoted  by  the  Right 
Reverend  M.  Russell,  in  a  work  composed  for  the 
express  purpose  of  imparting  information  on  the  subject 
of  Christian  missions  in  Polynesia.  And  he  frankly 
acknowledges,  moreover,  that  they  are  such  as  "  cannot 
fail  to  have  great  weight  with  the  public." 1 

After  alluding  to  the  manifold  evils  entailed  upon 
the  natives  by  foreigners,  and  their  singularly  inert 
condition ;  and  after  somewhat  too  severely  denouncing 
the  undeniable  errors  of  the  mission,  Kotzebue,  the 
Russian  navigator  says,  "A  religion  like  this,  which 
forbids  every  innocent  pleasure,  and  cramps  or  annihi- 
lates every  mental  power,  is  a  libel  on  the  divine  founder 
of  Christianity.  It  is  true,  that  the  religion  of  the 
missionaries  has,  with  a  great  deal  of  evil,  effected 
some  good.  It  has  restrained  the  vices  of  theft  and 
incontinence ;  but  it  has  given  birth  to  ignorance, 
hypocrisy,  and  a  hatred  of  all  other  modes  of  faith, 
which  was  once  foreign  to  the  open  and  benevolent 
character  of  the  Tahitian."  2 

Captain  Beechy  says,  that  while  at  Tahiti  he  saw 
scenes  "  which  must  have  convinced  the  greatest  sceptic 
of  the  thoroughly  immoral  condition  of  the  people,  and 

1  "  Polynesia ;  or  an  Historical  Account  of  the  Principal  Islands  of  the 
South  Sea:-'  By  the  Right  Rev.  M.  Russell,  LL.D.  (Harpers'  Family 
Library  Edition),  p.  96. 

2  "  A  new  Voyage  round  the  World  in  the  years  1823-24-25-26 :  "  By 
Otto  Von  Kotzebue,  Post  Captain  in  the  Russian  Imperial  Service  (Lon- 
don, 1830;  2  vols.  8vo),  vol.  i.  p.  168. 


214  omoo. 

which  would  force  him  to  conclude,  as  Turnbull 1  did 
many  years  previous,  that  their  intercourse  with  the 
Europeans  had  tended  to  debase  rather  than  exalt  their 
condition."2 

About  the  year  1834,  Daniel  Wheeler,  an  honest- 
hearted  Quaker,  prompted  by  motives  of  the  purest 
philanthropy,  visited,  in  a  vessel  of  his  own,  most  of 
the  missionary  settlements  in  the  South  Seas.  He 
remained  some  time  at  Tahiti ;  receiving  the  hospitali- 
ties of  the  missionaries  there,  and,  from  time  to  time, 
exhorting  the  natives. 

After  bewailing  their  social  condition,  he  frankly  says 
of  their  religious  state,  "  Certainly,  appearances  are 
unpromising ;  and  however  unwilling  to  adopt  such  a 
conclusion,  there  is  reason  to  apprehend,  that  Christian 
principle  is  a  great  rarity."  3 

Such,  then,  is  the  testimony  of  good  and  unbiassed 
men  who  have  been  upon  the  spot ;  but  how  comes  it 
to  differ  so  widely  from  impressions  of  others  at  home  ? 
Simply  thus  :  instead  of  estimating  the  result  of  mis- 
sionary labours  by  the  number  of  heathens  who  have 
actually  been  made  to  understand  and  practise  (in  some 
measure  at  least)  the  precepts  of  Christianity,  this 
result  has  been  unwarrantably  inferred  from  the  number 
of  those  who,  without  any  understanding  of  these 
things,  have  in  any  way  been  induced  to  abandon  idol- 
atry and  conform  to  certain  outward  observances. 

By  authority  of  some  kind  or  other,  exerted  upon 
the  natives  through  their  chiefs,  and  promoted  by  the 

i  The  author  of  a  Voyage  round  the  World,  in  the  years  1800-1804  (3 
vols.  8vo,  London,  1805). 

2  Narrative  of  a  Voyage  to  the  Pacific  and  Bhering's  Straits,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  F.  W.  Beechy,  R.  N.  (London,  1831),  vol.  i.  p.  287. 

8  Memoirs  of  the  Life  and  Gospel  Labours  of  the  late  Daniel  Wheeler, 
a  minister  of  the  Society  of  Friends  (London,  1842,  8vo),  p.  757. 


TAHITI  AS  IT  IS.  215 

hope  of  some  worldly  benefit  to  the  latter,  and  not  by 
appeals  to  the  reason,  have  conversions  in  Polynesia 
been  in  most  cases  brought  about. 

Even  in  one  or  two  instances  —  so  often  held  up  as 
wonderful  examples  of  divine  power  —  where  the  natives 
have  impulsively  burned  their  idols,  and  rushed  to  the 
waters  of  baptism,  the  very  suddenness  of  the  change 
has  but  indicated  its  unsoundness.  Williams,  the  martyr 
of  Erromanga,  relates  an  instance  where  the  inhabitants 
of  an  island  professing  Christianity  voluntarily  assem- 
bled, and  solemnly  revived  all  their  heathen  customs. 

All  the  world  over,  facts  are  more  eloquent  than 
words  ;  and  the  following  will  show  in  what  estimation 
the  missionaries  themselves  hold  the  present  state  of 
Christianity  and  morals  among  the  converted  Polynesians. 

On  the  island  of  Imeeo  (attached  to  the  Tahitian 
mission)  is  a  seminary,  under  the  charge  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Simpson  and  wife,  for  the  education  of  the  children 
of  the  missionaries  exclusively.  Sent  home  —  in  many 
cases,  at  a  very  early  age  —  to  finish  their  education,  the 
pupils  here  are  taught  nothing  but  the  rudiments  of 
knowledge ;  nothing  more  than  may  be  learned  in  the 
native  schools.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  two  races  are 
kept  as  far  as  possible  from  associating  ;  the  avowed  rea- 
son being,  to  preserve  the  young  whites  from  moral  con- 
tamination. The  better  to  insure  this  end,  every  effort 
is  made  to  prevent  them  from  acquiring  the  native  lan- 
guage. 

They  went  even  further  at  the  Sandwich  Islands-, 
where,  a  few  years  ago,  a  play-ground  for  the  children 
of  the  missionaries  was  enclosed  with  a  fence  many  feet 
high,  the  more  effectually  to  exclude  the  wicked  little 
Hawaiians. 

And  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  depravity  among 


216  omoo. 

the  Polynesians,  which  renders  precautions  like  these 
necessary,  was  in  a  measure  unknown  before  their  inter- 
course with  the  whites.  The  excellent  Captain  Wilson, 
who  took  the  first  missionaries  out  to  Tahiti,  affirms, 
that  the  people  of  that  island  had,  in  many  things, 
"  more  refined  ideas  of  decency  than  ourselves."  l  Van- 
couver, also  has  some  noteworthy  ideas  on  this  subject,  re- 
specting the  Sandwich  Islanders.2 

That  the  immorality  alluded  to  is  continually  increas- 
ing, is  plainly  shown  in  the  numerous  severe,  and  per- 
petually violated  laws  against  licentiousness  of  all  kinds, 
in  both  groups  of  islands. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  expected,  that  the  missionaries 
would  send  home  accounts  of  this  state  of  things. 
Hence,  Captain  Beechy,  in  alluding  to  the  "  Polynesian 
Researches  "  of  Ellis,  says,  that  the  author  has  impressed 
his  readers  with  a  far  more  elevated  idea  of  the  moral 
condition  of  the  Tahiti ans,  and  the  degree  of  civilisa- 
tion to  which  they  have  attained,  than  they  deserve  ;  or, 
at  least,  than  the  facts  which  came  under  his  observa- 
tion authorised.  He  then  goes  on  to  say,  that  in  his 
intercourse  with  the  islanders,  "  they  had  no  fear  of 
him,  and  consequently  acted  from  the  impulse  of  their 
natural  feelings  ;  so  that  he  was  the  better  enabled  to 
obtain  a  correct  knowledge  of  their  real  disposition  and 
habits.3 

From  my  own  familiar  intercourse  with  the  natives, 
this  last  reflection  still  more  forcibly  applies  to  my- 
self. 

1  A  Missionary  Voyage  to  the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  Appendix,  pp.  336,  342. 
*  See  Vancouver's  Voyages,  4to  edition,  vol.  i.  p.  172. 
8  Beechy'8  Narrative,  p.  269. 


SAME  SUBJECT  CONTINUED.  217 

CHAPTER   XLIX. 

SAME    SUBJECT   CONTINUED. 

We  have  glanced  at  their  moral  and  religious  condi- 
tion ;  let  us  see  how  it  is  with  them  socially,  and  in  other 
respects. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  only  way  to  civilise  a  people 
is  to  form  in  them  habits  of  industry.  Judged  by  this 
principle,  the  Tahitians  are  less  civilised  now  than  for- 
merly. True,  their  constitutional  indolence  is  exces- 
sive; but  surely,  if  the  spirit  of  Christianity  is  among 
them,  so  unchristian  a  vice  ought  to  be,  at  least,  par- 
tially remedied.  But  the  reverse  is  the  fact.  Instead 
of  acquiring  new  occupations,  old  ones  have  been  dis- 
continued. 

As  previously  remarked,  the  manufacture  of  tappa  is 
nearly  obsolete  in  many  parts  of  the  island.  So,  too, 
with  that  of  the  native  tools  and  domestic  utensils; 
very  few  of  which  are  now  fabricated,  since  the  supe- 
riority of  European  wares  has  been  made  so  evident. 

This,  however,  would  be  all  very  well,  were  the 
natives  to  apply  themselves  to  such  occupations  as  would 
enable  them  to  supply  the  few  articles  they  need.  But 
they  are  far  from  doing  so ;  and  the  majority  being 
unable  to  obtain  European  substitutes  for  many  things 
before  made  by  themselves,  the  inevitable  consequence 
is  seen  in  the  present  wretched  and  destitute  mode  of 
life  among  the  common  people.  To  me,  so  recently 
from  a  primitive  valley  of  the  Marquesas,  the  aspect  of 
most  of  the  dwellings  of  the  poorer  Tahitians,  and  their 
general  habits,  seemed  anything  but  tidy ;  nor  could  I 


218  omoo. 

avoid  a  comparison,  immeasurably  to  the  disadvantage 
of  these  partially  civilised  islanders. 

In  Tahiti  the  people  have  nothing  to  do ;  and  idle- 
ness, everywhere,  is  the  parent  of  vice.  "There  is 
scarcely  anything,"  says  the  good  old  Quaker  Wheeler, 
"so  striking,  or  pitiable,  as  their  aimless,  nerveless  mode 
of  spending  life." 

Attempts  have  repeated^  been  made  to  rouse  them 
from  their  sluggishness ;  but  in  vain.  Several  years  ago, 
the  cultivation  of  cotton  was  introduced  ;  and  with  their 
usual  love  of  novelty,  they  went  to  work  with  great 
alacrity  ;  but  the  interest  excited  quickly  subsided,  and 
now  not  a  pound  of  the  article  is  raised. 

About  the  same  time,  machinery  for  weaving  was  sent 
out  from  London ;  and  a  factory  was  started  at  Afrehi- 
too,  in  Imeeo.  The  whiz  of  the  wheels  and  spindles 
brought  in  volunteers  from  all  quarters,  who  deemed  it 
a  privilege  to  be  admitted  to  work :  yet,  in  six  months, 
not  a  boy  could  be  hired ;  and  the  machinery  was 
knocked  down,  and  packed  off  to  Sydney. 

It  was  the  same  way  with  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar- 
cane, a  plant  indigenous  to  the  island  ;  peculiarly  fitted 
to  the  soil  and  climate,  and  of  so  excellent  a  quality, 
that  Bligh  took  slips  of  it  to  the  West  Indies.  All  the 
plantations  went  on  famously  for  a  while ;  the  natives 
swarming  in  the  fields,  like  ants,  and  making  a  prodi- 
gious stir.  What  few  plantations  now  remain,  are  owned 
and  worked  by  whites,  who  would  rather  pay  a  drunken 
sailor  eighteen  or  twenty  Spanish  dollars  a  month  than 
hire  a  sober  native  for  his  "  fish  and  taro." 
^It  is  well  worthy  remark  here,  that  every  evidence  of 
/civilisation  among  the  South  Sea  Islands  directly  per- 
M&ins  to  foreigners ;  though  the  fact  of  such  evidence 
existing  at  all  is  usually  urged  as  a  proof  of  the  elevated 


SAME  SUBJECT  CONTINUED.  219 

condition  of  the  natives.  Thus,  at  Honolulu,  the 
capital  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  there  are  fine  dwelling- 
houses,  several  hotels,  and  barber-shops,  ay,  even  billiard- 
rooms  ;  but  all  these  are  owned  and  used,  be  it  observed, 
by  whites.  There  are  tailors,  and  blacksmiths,  and  car- 
penters also ;  but  not  one  of  them  is  a  native. 

The  fact  is,  that  the  mechanical  and  agricultural  em- 
ployments of  civilised  life  require  a  kind  of  exertion 
altogether  too  steady  and  sustained  to  agree  with  an 
indolent  people  like  the  Polynesians.  Calculated  for  a 
state  of  nature,  in  a  climate  providentially  adapted  to  it, 
they  are  unfit  for  any  other.  Nay,  as  a  race,  they  can- 
not otherwise  long  exist. 

The  following  statement  speaks  for  itself. 

About  the  year  1777,  Captain  Cook  estimated  the 
population  of  Tahiti  at  about  two  hundred  thousand.1 
By  a  regular  census,  taken  some  four  or  five  years  ago, 
it  was  found  to  be  only  nine  thousand.2  This  amazing 
decrease  not  only  shows  the  malignancy  of  the  evils 
necessary  to  produce  it,  but  from  the  fact  the  inference 
unavoidably  follows  that  all  the  wars,  child  murders, 
and  other  depopulating  causes,  alleged  to  have  existed 
in  former  times,  were  nothing  in  comparison  to  them. 

1  "  I  was  convinced,"  he  adds,  "  that  from  the  vast  swarms  that  every- 
where appeared,  this  estimate  was  not  at  all  too  great." 

2  For  an  allusion  to  this  census,  see  one  of  the  chapters  on  Tahiti,  in 
the  volumes  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition.  And,  for  the  almost 
incredible  depopulation  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  in  recent  years,  see  the 
game  work.  The  progressive  decrease,  in  certain  districts,  for  a  consider- 
able period,  is  there  marked. 

Ruschenberger,  an  intelligent  surgeon  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
takes  the  following  instance  from  the  records  kept  on  the  islands.  This 
district  of  Kohala,  in  Hawaii,  at  one  time  numbered  8,679  souls:  four 
years  after,  the  population  was  6,175 :  decrease,  in  that  time,  2,504.  No 
extraordinary  cause  is  assigned  for  this  depopulation — Vide  A  Voyage 
round  the  World  in  the  years  1835-36-37.  By  W.  S.  Ruschenberger,  M.D. 
(Philadelphia,  1838.  8vo.)    The  chapter  on  the  Sandwich  Islands. 


220  omoo. 

These  evils,  of  course,  are  solely  of  foreign  origin. 
To  say  nothing  of  the  effects  of  drunkenness,  the  occa- 
sional inroads  of  the  small-pox,  and  other  things  which 
might  be  mentioned,  it  is  sufficient  to  allude  to  a  viru- 
lent disease,  which  now  taints  the  blood  of  at  least 
two  thirds  of  the  common  people  of  the  island ;  and, 
in  some  form  or  other,  is  transmitted  from  father  to 
son. 

Their  first  horror  and  consternation  at  the  earlier  rav- 
ages of  this  scourge  were  pitiable  in  the  extreme.  The 
very  name  bestowed  upon  it,  is  a  combination  of  all  that 
is  horrid  and  unmentionable  to  a  civilized  being. 

Distracted  with  their  sufferings,  they  brought  forth 
their  sick  before  the  missionaries,  when  they  were 
preaching,  and  cried  out,  "  Lies,  lies !  you  tell  us  of 
salvation ;  and,  behold,  we  are  dying.  We  want  no 
other  salvation  than  to  live  in  this  world.  Where  are 
there  any  saved  through  your  speech  ?  Pomaree  is 
dead  ;  and  we  are  all  dying  with  your  cursed  diseases. 
When  will  you  give  over  ?  " 

At  present,  the  virulence  of  the  disorder  in  individual 
cases  has  somewhat  abated;  but  the  poison  is  only  the 
more  widely  diffused. 

"  How  dreadful  and  appalling,"  breaks  forth  old 
Wheeler,  "  the  consideration,  that  the  intercourse  of 
distant  nations  should  have  entailed  upon  these  poor, 
untutored  islanders  a  curse  unprecedented  and  unheard 
of  in  the  annals  of  history." 

In  view  of  these  things,  who  can  remain  blind  to  the 
fact,  that  so  far  as  mere  temporal  felicity  is  concerned, 
the  Tahitians  are  far  worse  off  now  than  formerly ;  and 
although  their  circumstances,  upon  the  whole,  are  bet- 
tered by  the  presence  of  the  missionaries,  the  benefits 
conferred  by  the  latter  become  utterly  insignificant  when 


8 A  ME  SUBJECT  CONTINUED.  221 

confronted  with  the  vast  preponderance  of  evil  brought 
about  by  other  means. 

Their  prospects  are  hopeless.  Nor  can  the  most 
devoted  efforts  now  exempt  them  from  furnishing  a 
marked  illustration  of  a  principle  which  history  has 
always  exemplified.  Years  ago  brought  to  a  stand, 
where  all  that  is  corrupt  in  barbarism  and  civilisation 
unite,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  virtues  of  either  state ;  like 
other  uncivilised  beings,  brought  into  contact  with  Euro- 
peans, they  must  here  remain  stationary  until  utterly 
extinct. 

The  islanders  themselves  are  mournfully  watching 
their  doom.  Several  years  since,  Pomaree  II.  said  to 
Tyerman  and  Bennet,  the  deputies  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society,  "  You  have  come  to  see  me  at  a  very 
bad  time.  Your  ancestors  came  in  the  time  of  men, 
when  Tahiti  was  inhabited :  you  are  come  to  behold  just 
the  remnant  of  my  people." 

Of  like  import,  was  the  prediction  of  Teearmoar,  the 
high-priest  of  Paree,  who  lived  over  a  hundred  years 
ago.  I  have  frequently  heard  it  chanted,  in  a  low,  sad 
tone,  by  aged  Tahitians  :  — 

"A  harree  ta  fow, 
A  toro  ta  farraro, 
A  now  ta  tararta." 

The  palm-tree  shall  grow, 
The  coral  shall  spread, 
But  man  shall  cease. 


222  omoo. 

CHAPTER  L. 

SOMETHING  HAPPENS   TO   LONG  GHOST. 

We  will  now  return  to  the  narrative. 

The  day  before  the  Julia  sailed,  Dr.  Johnson  paid  his 
last  call.  He  was  not  quite  so  bland  as  usual.  All  he 
wanted  was  the  men's  names  to  a  paper,  certifying  to 
their  having  received  from  him  sundry  medicaments, 
therein  mentioned.  This  voucher,  endorsed  by  Captain 
Guy,  secured  his  pay.  But  he  would  not  have  obtained 
for  it  the  sailors'  signs  manual,  had  either  the  doctor  or 
myself  been  present  at  the  time. 

Now,  my  long  friend  wasted  no  love  upon  Johnson 
but,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  hated  him  heartily :  all  the 
same  thing  in  one  sense;  for  either  passion  argues  an 
object  deserving  thereof.  And  so,  to  be  hated  cordially 
is  only  a  left-handed  compliment,  which  shows  how  fool 
ish  it  is  to  be  bitter  against  any  one. 

For  my  own  part,  I  merely  felt  a  cool  —  purely  inci 
dental  —  and  passive  contempt  for  Johnson,  as  a  selfish 
mercenary  apothecary ;  and  hence  I  often  remonstrated 
with  Long  Ghost  when  he  flew  out  against  him,  and 
heaped  upon  him  all  manner  of  scurrilous  epithets.  In 
his  professional  brother's  presence,  however,  he  never 
acted  thus ;  maintaining  an  amiable  exterior,  to  help 
along  the  jokes  which  were  played. 

I  am  now  going  to  tell  another  story,  in  which  my 
long  friend  figures  with  the  physician :  I  do  not  wish  to 
bring  one  or  the  other  of  them  too  often  upon  the  stage ; 
but,  as  the  thing  actually  happened,  I  must  relate  it. 

A  few  days  after  Johnson  presented  his  bill,  as  above 


SOMETHING  HAPPENS   TO  LONG  GHOST.  223 

mentioned,  the  doctor  expressed  to  me  his  regret,  that 
although  he  (Johnson)  had  apparently  been  played  off 
for  our  entertainment,  yet,  nevertheless,  he  had  made 
money  out  of  the  transaction.  And  I  wonder,  added  the 
doctor,  if,  that  now  he  cannot  expect  to  receive  any 
further  pay,  he  could  be  induced  to  call  again. 

By  a  curious  coincidence,  not  five  minutes  after  mak- 
ing this  observation,  Doctor  Long  Ghost  himself  fell 
down  in  an  unaccountable  fit ;  and  without  asking  any- 
body's leave,  Captain  Bob,  who  was  by,  at  once  de- 
spatched a  boy,  hot  foot,  for  Johnson. 

Meanwhile,  we  carried  him  into  the  Calabooza ;  and 
the  natives,  who  assembled  in  numbers,  suggested  vari- 
ous modes  of  treatment.  One  rather  energetic  practi- 
tioner was  for  holding  the  patient  by  the  shoulders,  while 
somebody  tugged  at  his  feet.  This  resuscitatory  opera- 
tion was  called  the  "  Potata  ;  "  but  thinking  our  long 
comrade  sufficiently  lengthy  without  additional  stretch- 
ing, we  declined  potataing  him. 

Presently  the  physician  was  spied  coming  along  the 
Broom  Road  at  a  great  rate,  and  so  absorbed  in  the  busi- 
ness of  locomotion,  that  he  heeded  not  the  imprudence 
of  being  in  a  hurry  in  a  tropical  climate.  He  was  in  a 
profuse  perspiration,  which  must  have  been  owing  to  the 
warmth  of  his  feelings,  notwithstanding  we  had  supposed 
him  a  man  of  no  heart.  But  his  benevolent  haste  upon 
this  occasion  was  subsequently  accounted  for :  it  merely 
arose  from  professional  curiosity,  to  behold  a  case  most 
unusual  in  his  Polynesian  practice.  Now,  under  certain 
circumstances,  sailors,  generally  so  frolicsome,  are  ex- 
ceedingly particular  in  having  everything  conducted 
with  the  strictest  propriety.  Accordingly,  they  deputed 
me,  as  his  intimate  friend,  to  sit  at  Long  Ghost's  head, 
so  as  to  be  ready  to  officiate  as   "  spokesman ;  "  and 


224  omoo. 

answer  all  questions  propounded ;  the  rest  to  keep 
silent. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  exclaimed  Johnson,  out  of 
breath,  and  bursting  into  the  Calabooza :  "  how  did  it 
happen  ?  —  speak,  quick  !  "  and  he  looked  at  Long 
Ghost. 

I  told  him  how  the  fit  came  on. 

"  Singular,"  —  he  observed  —  "  very  :  good  enough 
pulse  ;  "  and  he  let  go  of  it,  and  placed  his  hand  upon 
the  heart. 

"  But  what's  all  that  frothing  at  the  mouth  ?  "  he  con- 
tinued ;  "  and,  bless  me  !  look  at  the  abdomen  !  " 

The  region  thus  denominated  exhibited  the  most 
unaccountable  symptoms.  A  low,  rumbling  sound  was 
heard ;  and  a  sort  of  undulation  was  discernible  beneath 
the  thin  cotton  frock. 

"  Colic,  sir  ?  "  suggested  a  by-stander. 

"  Colic  be  hanged  !  "  shouted  the  physician  ;  "  who 
ever  heard  of  any  body  in  a  trance  of  the  colic  ?  " 

During  this,  the  patient  lay  upon  his  back,  stark  and 
straight,  giving  no  signs  of  life  except  those  above 
mentioned. 

"  I'll  bleed  him  !  "  cried  Johnson  at  last —  "  run  for  a 
calabash,  one  of  you !  " 

"  Life  ho ! "  here  sung  out  Navy  Bob,  as  if  he  had 
just  spied  a  sail. 

"  What  under  the  sun's  the  matter  with  him  !  "  cried 
the  physician,  starting  at  the  appearance  of  the  mouth, 
which  had  jerked  to  one  side,  and  there  remained  fixed. 

"  P'r'aps  it's  St.  Witus's  hornpipe,"  suggested  Bob. 

"  Hold  the  calabash  !  "  —  and  the  lancet  was  out  in  a 
moment. 

But  before  the  deed  could  be  done,  the  face  became 
natural ;  —  a  sigh  was  heaved  ;  —  the  eyelids  quivered, 


SOMETHING   HAPPENS    TO  LONG   GHOST.       225 

opened,  closed ;  and  Long  Ghost,  twitching  all  over, 
rolled  on  his  side,  and  breathed  audibly.  By  degrees) 
he  became  sufficiently  recovered  to  speak. 

After  trying  to  get  something  coherent  out  of  him, 
Johnson  withdrew ;  evidently  disappointed  in  the  scien- 
tific interest  of  the  case.  Soon  after  his  departure,  the 
doctor  sat  up;  and  upon  being  asked  what  upon  earth 
ailed  him,  shook  his  head  mysteriously.  He  then  de- 
plored the  hardship  of  being  an  invalid  in  such  a  place, 
where  there  was  not  the  slightest  provision  for  his  com- 
fort. This  awakened  the  compassion  of  our  good  old 
keeper,  who  offered  to  send  him  to  a  place  where  he 
would  be  better  cared  for.  Long  Ghost  acquiesced; 
and  being  at  once  mounted  upon  the  shoulders  of  four 
of  Captain  Bob's  men,  was  marched  off  in  state,  like  the 
Grand  Lama  of  Thibet. 

Now,  I  do  not  pretend  to  account  for  his  remarkable 
swoon ;  but  his  reason  for  suffering  himself  to  be  thus 
removed  from  the  Calabooza  was  strongly  suspected  to 
be  nothing  more  than  a  desire  to  insure  more  regularity 
in  his  dinner-hour;  hoping  that  the  benevolent  native 
to  whom  he  was  going  would  set  a  good  table. 

The  next  morning  we  were  all  envying  his  fortune; 
when,  of  a  sudden,  he  bolted  in  upon  us,  looking  decid- 
edly out  of  humour. 

"  Hang  it !  "  he  cried,  "  I'm  worse  off  than  ever;  let 
me  have  some  breakfast !  "  We  lowered  our  slender  bag 
of  ship-stores  from  a  rafter,  and  handed  him  a  biscuit. 
While  this  was  being  munched,  he  went  on  and  told  us 
his  story. 

"  After  leaving  here,  they  trotted  me  back  into  a  val- 
ley, and  left  me  in  a  hut,  where  an  old  woman  lived  by 
herself.  This  must  be  the  nurse,  thought  I ;  and  so  I 
asked  her  to  kill  a  pig,  and  bake  it ;  for  I  felt  my  appe- 


226  omoo. 

tite  returning.  l  Ita!  ita! — oee  mattee — mattee  nuee* — 
(no,  no;  you  too  sick.)  '  The  devil  mattee  ye,'  said  I  — 
1  give  me  something  to  eat ! '  But  nothing  could  be  had. 
Night  coming  on,  I  had  to  stay.  Creeping  into  a  corner, 
I  tried  to  sleep ;  but  it  was  to  no  purpose ;  —  the  old 
crone  must  have  had  the  quinsy,  or  something  else ;  and 
she  kept  up  such  a  wheezing  and  choking,  that  at  last  I 
sprang  up  and  groped  after  her ;  but  she  hobbled  away 
like  a  goblin ;  and  that  was  the  last  of  her.  As  soon  as 
the  sun  rose,  I  made  the  best  of  my  way  back ;  and  here 
I  am." 

He  never  left  us  more,  nor  ever  had  a  second  fit 


CHAPTER    LI. 

WILSON    GIVES    US    THE    CUT DEPARTURE    FOR    1MEER. 

About  three  weeks  after  the  Julia's  sailing,  our  con- 
dition began  to  be  a  little  precarious.  We  were  without 
any  regular  supply  of  food;  the  arrival  of  ships  was 
growing  less  frequent ;  and,  what  was  worse  yet,  all  the 
natives  but  good  old  Captain  Bob  began  to  tire  of  us. 
Nor  was  this  to  be  wondered  at ;  we  were  obliged  to  live 
upon  their  benevolence,  when  they  had  little  enough  for 
themselves.  Besides,  we  were  sometimes  driven  to  acts 
of  marauding :  such  as  kidnapping  pigs,  and  cooking 
them  in  the  groves ;  at  which  their  proprietors  were  by 
no  means  pleased. 

In  this  state  of  affairs,  we  determined  to  march  off  to 
the  consul  in  a  body ;  and,  as  he  had  brought  us  to  these 
straits,  demand  an  adequate  maintenance. 

On  the  point  of  starting,  Captain  Bob's  menraisedthe 


WILSON  GIVES    US   THE  CUT,  227 

most  outrageous  cries,  and  tried  to  prevent  us.  Though 
hitherto  we  had  strolled  about  wherever  we  pleased, 
this  grand  conjunction  of  our  whole  force  upon  one  par- 
ticular expedition,  seemed  to  alarm  them.  But  we  as- 
sured them  that  we  were  not  going  to  assault  the  village  ; 
and  so,  after  a  good  deal  of  gibberish,  they  permitted  us 
to  leave. 

We  went  straight  to  the  Pritchard  residence,  where 
the  consul  dwelt.  This  house  —  to  which  I  have  before 
referred  —  is  quite  commodious.  It  has  a  wide  verandah, 
glazed  windows,  and  other  appurtenances  of  a  civilised 
mansion.  Upon  the  lawn  in  front  are  palm-trees  stand- 
ing erect  here  and  there,  like  sentinels.  The  Consular 
Office,  a  small  building  by  itself,  is  enclosed  by  the  same 
picket  which  fences  in  the  lawn. 

We  found  the  office  closed ;  but  in  the  verandah  of 
the  dwelling-house  was  a  lady  performing  a  tonsorial 
operation  on  the  head  of  a  prim-looking,  elderly  Euro- 
pean, in  a  low,  white  cravat ;  —  the  most  domestic  little 
scene  I  had  witnessed  since  leaving  home.  Bent  upon 
an  interview  with  Wilson,  the  sailors  now  deputed  the 
doctor  to  step  forward  as  a  polite  inquirer  after  his 
health. 

The  pair  stared  very  hard  as  he  advanced;  but  no 
ways  disconcerted,  he  saluted  them  gravely,  and  inquired 
for  the  consul. 

Upon  being  informed  that  he  had  gone  down  to  the 
beach,  we  proceeded  in  that  direction ;  and  soon  met  a 
native,  who  told  us  that,  apprised  of  our  vicinity,  Wilson 
was  keeping  out  of  the  way.  We  resolved  to  meet  him ; 
and  passing  through  the  village,  he  suddenly  came  walk- 
ing towards  us,  having  apparently  made  up  his  mind 
that  any  attempt  to  elude  us  would  be  useless. 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me,  you  rascals  ?  "  he  cried  — 


228  omoo. 

a  greeting  which  provoked  a  retort  in  no  measured  terms. 
At  this  juncture,  the  natives  began  to  crowd  round,  and 
several  foreigners  strolled  along.  Caught  in  the  very  act 
of  speaking  to  such  disreputable  acquaintances,  Wilson 
now  fidgeted,  and  moved  rapidly  towards  his  office  ;  the 
men  following.  Turning  upon  them  incensed,  he  bade 
them  be  off  —  he  would  have  nothing  more  to  say  to  us ; 
and  then,  hurriedly  addressing  Captain  Bob  in  Tahitian, 
he  hastened  on,  and  never  stopped  till  the  postern  of 
Pritchard's  wicket  was  closed  behind  him. 

Our  good  old  keeper  was  now  highly  excited,  bustling 
about  in  his  huge  petticoats,  and  conjuring  us  to  return 
to  the  Calabooza.     After  a  little  debate,  we  acquiesced. 

This  interview  was  decisive.  Sensible  that  none  of 
the  charges  brought  against  us  would  stand,  yet  unwill- 
ing formally  to  withdraw  them,  the  consul  now  wished 
to  get  rid  of  us  altogether  ;  but  without  being  suspected 
of  encouraging  our  escape.  Thus  only  could  we  account 
for  his  conduct. 

Some  of  the  party,  however,  with  a  devotion  to  prin- 
ciple truly  heroic,  swore  they  would  never  leave  him, 
happen  what  might.  For  my  own  part,  I  began  to  long 
for  a  change  ;  and  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  getting  away 
in  a  ship,  I  resolved  to  hit  upon  some  other  expedient. 
But  first,  I  cast  about  for  a  comrade  ;  and  of  course  the 
long  doctor  was  chosen.  We  at  once  laid  our  heads  to- 
gether ;  and  for  the  present,  resolved  to  disclose  nothing 
to  the  rest. 

A  few  days  previous,  I  had  fallen  in  with  a  couple  of 
Yankee  lads,  twins,  who,  originally  deserting  their  ship 
at  Fanning's  Island  (an  uninhabited  spot,  but  exceedingly 
prolific  in  fruit  of  all  kinds),  had,  after  a  long  residence 
there,  roved  about  among  the  Society  group.  They  were 
last  from  Imeeo — the  island  immediately  adjoining  — 


WILSON  GIVES    US   THE  CUT.  229 

where  they  had  been  in  the  employ  of  two  foreigners, 
who  had  recently  started  a  plantation  there.  These  per- 
sons, they  said,  had  charged  them  to  send  over  from 
Papeetee,  if  they  could,  two  white  men  for  field- 
labourers. 

Now,  all  but  the  prospect  of  digging  and  delving, 
suited  us  exactly ;  but  the  opportunity  for  leaving  the 
island  was  not  to  be  slighted;  and  so  we  held  our- 
selves in  readiness  to  return  with  the  planters ;  who,  in 
a  day  or  two,  were  expected  to  visit  Papeetee  in  their 
boat. 

At  the  interview  which  ensued,  we  were  introduced 
to  them  as  Peter  and  Paul ;  and  they  agreed  to  give 
Peter  and  Paul  fifteen  silver  dollars  a  month,  promising 
something  more,  should  we  remain  with  them  perma- 
nently. What  they  wanted,  was  men  who  would  stay. 
To  elude  the  natives  —  many  of  whom  not  exactly 
understanding  our  relations  with  the  consul,  might 
arrest  us,  were  they  to  see  us  departing  —  the  coming 
midnight  was  appointed  for  that  purpose. 

When  the  hour  drew  nigh,  we  disclosed  our  intention 
to  the  rest.  Some  upbraided  us  for  deserting  them  ; 
others  applauded,  and  said,  that  on  the  first  opportunity 
they  would  follow  our  example.  At  last,  we  bade  them 
farewell.  And  there  would  now  be  a  serene  sadness  in 
thinking  over  the  scene  —  since  we  never  saw  them 
again  —  had  not  all  been  dashed  by  M'Gee's  picking 
the  doctor's  pocket  of  a  jackknife,  in  the  very  act  of 
embracing  him. 

We  stole  down  to  the  beach,  where,  under  the  shadow 
of  a  grove,  the  boat  was  waiting.  After  some  delay, 
we  shipped  the  oars,  and  pulling  outside  of  the  reef,  set 
the  sail ;  and  with  a  fair  wind,  glided  away  for  Imeeo. 

It  was  a  pleasant  trip.     The  moon  was  up  —  the  air, 


230  omoo. 

warm —  the  waves,  musical  —  and  all  above  was  the 
tropical  night,  one  purple  vault  hung  round  with  soft, 
trembling  stars. 

The  channel  is  some  five  leagues  wide.  On  one 
hand,  you  have  the  three  great  peaks  of  Tahiti  lording 
it  over  ranges  of  mountains  and  valleys ;  and  on  the 
other,  the  equally  romantic  elevations  of  Imeeo,  high 
above  which  a  lone  peak,  called  by  our  companions, 
"the  Marling-spike,"  shot  up  its  verdant  spire. 

The  planters  were  quite  sociable.  They  had  been 
sea-faring  men,  and  this,  of  course,  was  a  bond  between 
us.  To  strengthen  it,  a  flask  of  wine  was  produced,  one 
of  several  which  had  been  procured  in  person  from  the 
French  admiral's  steward ;  for  whom  the  planters,  when 
on  a  former  visit  to  Papeetee,  had  done  a  good  turn, 
by  introducing  the  amorous  Frenchman  to  the  ladies 
ashore.  Besides  this,  they  had  a  calabash  filled  with 
wild  boar's  meat,  baked  yams,  bread-fruit,  and  Tombez 
potatoes.  Pipes  and  tobacco  also  were  produced ;  and 
while  regaling  ourselves,  plenty  of  stories  were  told 
about  the  neighbouring  islands. 

At  last  we  heard  the  roar  of  the  Imeeo  reef ;  and 
gliding  through  a  break,  floated  over  the  expanse 
within,  which  was  smooth  as  a  young  girl's  brow,  and 
beached  the  boat. 


TEE  VALLEY  OF  MART  AIR. 

CHAPTER  LII. 

THE   VALLEY   OF   MARTAIR. 

We  went  up  through  groves  to  an  open  space,  where 
we  heard  voices,  and  a  light  was  seen  glimmering  from 
out  a  bamboo  dwelling.  It  was  the  planters'  retreat ; 
and  in  their  absence,  several  girls  were  keeping  house, 
assisted  by  an  old  native,  who,  wrapped  up  in  tappa, 
lay  in  the  corner,  smoking. 

A  hasty  meal  was  prepared,  and  after  it  we  essayed  a 
nap ;  but,  alas !  a  plague,  little  anticipated,  prevented. 
Unknown  in  Tahiti,  the  musquitoes  here  fairly  eddied 
round  us.     But  more  of  them  anon. 

We  were  up  betimes,  and  strolled  out  to  view  the 
country.  We  were  in  the  valley  of  Martair ;  shut  in, 
on  both  sides,  by  lofty  hills.  Here  and  there  were  steep 
cliffs,  gay  with  flowering  shrubs,  or  hung  with  pendu- 
lous vines,  swinging  blossoms  in  the  air.  Of  consider- 
able width  at  the  sea,  the  vale  contracts  as  it  runs  inland ; 
terminating,  at  the  distance  of  several  miles,  in  a  range 
of  the  most  grotesque  elevations,  which  seem  embattled 
with  turrets  and  towers,  grown  over  with  verdure,  and 
waving  with  trees.  The  valley  itself  is  a  wilderness  of 
woodland ;  with  links  of  streams  flashing  through,  and 
narrow  pathways,  fairly  tunnelled  through  masses  of 
foliage. 

All  alone,  in  this  wild  place,  was  the  abode  of  the 
planters ;  the  only  one  back  from  the  beach  —  their  sole 
neighbours,  the  few  fishermen  and  their  families,  dwelling 
in  a  small  grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  whose  roots  were 
washed  by  the  sea. 


232  omoo. 

The  cleared  tract  which  they  occupied  comprised  some 
thirty  acres,  level  as  a  prairie,  part  of  which  was  under 
cultivation ;  the  whole  being  fenced  in  by  a  stout  pali- 
sade of  trunks  and  boughs  of  trees  staked  firmly  in  the 
ground.  This  was  necessary,  as  a  defence  against  the 
wild  cattle  and  hogs  overrunning  the  island. 

Thus  far,  Tombez  potatoes l  were  the  principal  crop 
raised ;  a  ready  sale  for  them  being  obtained  among  the 
shipping  touching  at  Papeetee.  There  was  a  small 
patch  of  the  taro,  or  Indian  turnip,  also ;  another  of 
yams ;  and,  in  one  corner,  a  thrifty  growth  of  the  sugar- 
cane, just  ripening. 

On  the  side  of  the  enclosure  next  the  sea  was  the 
house ;  newly  built  of  bamboos,  in  the  native  style. 
The  furniture  consisted  of  a  couple  of  sea-chests,  an  old 
box,  a  few  cooking  utensils,  and  agricultural  tools ;  to- 
gether with  three  fowling-pieces,  hanging  from  a  rafter; 
and  two  enormous  hammocks,  swinging  in  opposite 
corners,  and  composed  of  dried  bullocks'  hides,  stretched 
out  with  poles. 

The  whole  plantation  was  shut  in  by  a  dense  forest ; 
and,  close  by  the  house,  a  dwarfed  "  Aoa,"  or  species  of 
banian-tree,  had  purposely  been  left  twisting  over  the 
palisade,  in  the  most  grotesque  manner,  and  thus  made 
a  pleasant  shade.  The  branches  of  this  curious  tree 
afforded  low  perches,  upon  which  the  natives  frequently 
squatted,  after  the  fashion  of  their  race,  and  smoked  and 
gossiped  by  the  hour. 

We  had  a  good  breakfast  of  fish  —  speared  by  the 
natives,  before  sunrise,  on  the  reef  —  pudding  of  Indian 
turnip,  fried  bananas,  and  roasted  bread-fruit. 

1  Perhaps  the  finest  sweet  potato  in  the  world.  It  derives  its  name 
from  a  district  of  Peru,  near  Cape  Blanco,  very  favorable  to  its  growth ; 
where,  also,  it  is  extensively  cultivated :  the  root  is  very  large,  sometimes 
as  big  as  a  good-sized  melon. 


THE    VALLEY   OF  MART  AIR.  233 

During  the  repast,  our  new  friends  were  quite  sociable 
and  communicative.  It  seems  that,  like  nearly  all  un- 
educated foreigners  residing  in  Polynesia,  they  had 
some  time  previous,  deserted  from  a  ship ;  and,  having- 
heard  a  good  deal  about  the  money  to  be  made  by  raising 
supplies  for  whaling-vessels,  they  determined  upon  em- 
barking in  the  business.  Strolling  about,  with  this 
intention,  they  at  last  came  to  Martair ;  and,  thinking 
the  soil  would  suit,  set  themselves  to  work.  They 
began,  by  finding  out  the  owner  of  the  particular  spot 
coveted,  and  then  making  a  "  tayo  "  of  him. 

He  turned  out  to  be  Tonoi,  the  chief  of  the  fisher- 
men, who,  one  day,  when  exhilarated  with  brandy,  tore 
his  meagre  tappa  from  his  loins,  and  gave  me  to  know  that 
he  was  allied  by  blood  with  Pomaree  herself;  and  that 
his  mother  came  from  the  illustrious  race  of  pontiffs 
who,  in  old  times,  swayed  their  bamboo  crosier  over  all 
the  pagans  of  Imeeo.  A  regal  and  right  reverend  lin- 
eage !  But  at  the  time  I  speak  of,  the  dusky  noble  was 
in  "  decayed  circumstances,"  and  therefore  by  no  means 
unwilling  to  alienate  a  few  useless  acres.  As  an  equiv- 
alent, he  received  from  the  strangers  two  or  three  rheu- 
matic old  muskets,  several  red  woollen  shirts,  and  a 
promise  to  be  provided  for  in  his  old  age :  he  was  always 
to  find  a  home  with  the  planters. 

Desirous  of  living  on  the  cozy  footing  of  a  father-in- 
law,  he  frankly  offered  his  two  daughters  for  wives  ;  but, 
as  such,  they  were  politely  declined ;  the  adventurers, 
though  not  averse  to  courting,  being  unwilling  to 
entangle  themselves  in  a  matrimonial  alliance,  however 
splendid  in  point  of  family. 

Tonoi's  men,  the  fishermen  of  the  grove,  were  a  sad 
set.  Secluded,  in  a  great  measure,  from  the  ministra- 
tions of  the  missionaries,  they  gave  themselves  up  to  all 


234  omoo. 

manner  of  lazy  wickedness.  Strolling  among  the  trees 
of  a  morning,  you  came  upon  them  napping  on  the  shady 
side  of  a  canoe  hauled  up  among  the  bushes ;  lying 
under  a  tree  smoking ;  or,  more  frequently  still,  gam- 
bling with  pebbles ;  though,  a  little  tobacco  excepted, 
what  they  gambled  for  at  their  outlandish  games,  it 
would  be  hard  to  tell.  Other  idle  diversions  they  had 
also,  in  which  they  seemed  to  take  great  delight.  As 
for  fishing,  it  employed  but  a  small  part  of  their  time. 
Upon  the  whole,  they  were  a  merry,  indigent,  godless 
race. 

Tonoi,  the  old  sinner,  leaning  against  the  fallen  trunk 
of  a  cocoa-nut  tree,  invariably  squandered  his  mornings  at 
pebbles ;  a  grey-headed  rook  of  a  native  regularly  pluck- 
ing him  of  every  other  stick  of  tobacco  obtained  from 
his  friends,  the  planters.  Toward  afternoon,  he  strolled 
back  to  their  abode  ;  where  he  tarried  till  the  next 
morning,  smoking  and  snoozing,  and,  at  times,  prating 
about  the  hapless  fortunes  of  the  House  of  Tonoi.  But, 
like  any  other  easy-going  old  dotard,  he  seemed  for  the 
most  part  perfectly  content  with  cheerful  board  and 
lodging. 

On  the  whole,  the  valley  of  Martair  was  the  quietest 
place  imaginable.  Could  the  musquitoes  be  induced  to 
emigrate,  one  might  spend  the  month  of  August  there 
quite  pleasantly.  But  this  was  not  the  case  with  the 
luckless  Long  Ghost  and  myself ;  as  will  presently  be 
seen. 


FARMING  IN  POLYNESIA.  235 

CHAPTER    LIIL 

FARMING   IN   POLYNESIA. 

The  planters  were  both  whole-souled  fellows ;  but,  in 
other  respects,  as  unlike  as  possible. 

One  was  a  tall,  robust  Yankee,  born  in  the  backwoods 
of  Maine,  sallow,  and  with  a  long  face  ;  —  the  other  was 
a  short  little  Cockney,  who  had  first  clapped  his  eyes  on 
the  Monument. 

The  voice  of  Zeke,  the  Yankee,  had  a  twang  like  a 
cracked  viol ;  and  Shorty  (as  his  comrade  called  him) 
clipped  the  aspirate  from  every  word  beginning  with 
one.  The  latter,  though  not  the  tallest  man  in  the 
world,  was  a  good-looking  young  fellow,  of  twenty-five. 
His  cheeks  were  dyed  with  the  fine  Saxon  red,  burned 
deeper  from  his  roving  life ;  his  blue  eyes  opened  well, 
and  a  profusion  of  fair  hair  curled  over  a  well-shaped 
head. 

But  Zeke  was  no  beauty.  A  strong,  ugly  man,  he 
was  well  adapted  for  manual  labor ;  and  that  was  all. 
His  eyes  were  made  to  see  with,  and  not  for  ogling. 
Compared  with  the  Cockney,  he  was  grave,  and  rather 
taciturn ;  but  there  was  a  deal  of  good  old  humour 
bottled  up  in  him,  after  all.  For  the  rest,  he  was  frank, 
good-hearted,  shrewd,  and  resolute ;  and,  like  Shorty, 
quite  illiterate. 

Though  a  curious  conjunction,  the  pair  got  along 
together  famously.  But  as  no  two  men  were  ever 
united  in  any  enterprise,  without  one  getting  the  upper 
hand  of  the  other ;  so,  in  most  matters,  Zeke  had 
his  own  way.     Shorty,  too,  had  imbibed  from   him  a 


236  omoo. 

spirit  of  invincible  industry ;  and  Heaven  only  knows 
what  ideas  of  making  a  fortune  on  their  plantation. 

We  were  much  concerned  at  this;  for  the  prospect 
of  their  setting  us  in  their  own  persons  an  example 
of  downright  hard  labour,  was  anything  but  agree- 
able. But  it  was  now  too  late  to  repent  what  we  had 
done. 

The  first  day  —  thank  fortune  —  we  did  nothing. 
Having  treated  us  as  guests  thus  far,  they  no  doubt 
thought  it  would  be  wanting  in  delicacy  to  set  us  to 
work  before  the  compliments  of  the  occasion  were  well 
over.  The  next  morning,  however,  they  both  looked 
business-like,  and  we  were  put  to. 

"  Wall,  Vys,"  (boys)  said  Zeke,  knocking  the  ashes 
out  of  his  pipe,  after  breakfast  —  "  we  must  get  at  it. 
Shorty,  give  Peter  there  (the  doctor),  the  big  hoe,  and 
Paul  the  other,  and  let's  be  off."  Going  to  a  corner, 
Shorty  brought  forth  three  of  the  implements  ;  and  dis- 
tributing them  impartially,  trudged  on  after  his  partner, 
who  took  the  lead  with  something  in  the  shape  of  an 
axe. 

For  a  moment  left  alone  in  the  house,  we  looked  at 
each  other,  quaking.  We  were  each  equipped  with  a 
great  clumsy  piece  of  a  tree,  armed  at  one  end  with 
a  heavy,  flat  mass  of  iron. 

The  cutlery  part  —  especially  adapted  to  a  primitive 
soil  —  was  an  importation  from  Sydney ;  the  handles 
must  have  been  of  domestic  manufacture.  "  Hoes " 
—  so  called  —  we  had  heard  of,  and  seen ;  but  they 
were  harmless,  in  comparison  with  the  tools  in  our 
hands. 

"  What's  to  be  done  with  them  ?  "  inquired  I  of 
Peter. 

"  Lift  them  up  and  down,"  he  replied ;  "  or  put  them 


FARMING  IN  POLYNESIA.  237 

in  motion  some  way  or  other.  Paul,  we  are  in  a  scrape 
—  but  hark!  they  are  calling;"  and  shouldering  the 
hoes,  off  we  marched. 

Our  destination  was  the  farther  side  of  the  plantation, 
where  the  ground,  cleared  in  part,  had  not  yet  been 
broken  up  ;  but  they  were  now  setting  about  it.  Upon 
halting,  I  asked  why  a  plough  was  not  used :  some  of 
the  young  wild  steers  might  be  caught,  and  trained  for 
draught. 

Zeke  replied,  that,  for  such  a  purpose,  no  cattle,  to 
his  knowledge,  had  ever  been  used  in  any  part  of  Poly- 
nesia. As  for  the  soil  of  Martair,  so  obstructed  was  it 
with  roots,  crossing  and  recrossing  each  other  at  all 
points,  that  no  kind  of  a  plough  could  be  used  to  advan- 
tage. The  heavy  Sydney  hoes  were  the  only  thing  for 
such  land. 

Our  work  was  now  before  us ;  but,  previous  to  com- 
mencing operations,  I  endeavoured  to  engage  the  Yankee 
in  a  little  further  friendly  chat,  concerning  the  nature 
of  virgin  soils  in  general,  and  that  of  the  valley  of  Mar- 
tair in  particular.  So  masterly  a  stratagem  made  Long 
Ghost  brighten  up ;  and  he  stood  by  ready  to  join  in. 
But  what  our  friend  had  to  say  about  agriculture,  all 
referred  to  the  particular  part  of  his  plantation  upon 
which  we  stood ;  and  having  communicated  enough  on 
this  head,  to  enable  us  to  set  to  work  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, he  fell  to  himself ;  and  Shorty,  who  had  been  look- 
ing on,  followed  suit. 

The  surface,  here  and  there,  presented  closely  ampu- 
tated branches  of  what  had  once  been  a  dense  thicket. 
They  seemed  purposely  left  projecting,  as  if  to  furnish 
a  handle,  whereby  to  drag  out  the  roots  beneath.  After 
loosening  the  hard  soil,  by  dint  of  much  thumping  and 
pounding,  the  Yankee  jerked  one  of  the  roots,  this  way 


238  omoo. 

and  that,  twisting  it  round  and  round,  and  then  tugging 
at  it  horizontally. 

"  Come  !  lend  us  a  hand ! "  he  cried,  at  last ;  and, 
running  up,  we  all  four  strained  away  in  concert.  The 
tough  obstacle  convulsed  the  surface  with  throes  and 
spasms  ;  but  stuck  fast,  notwithstanding. 

"  Duinn  it !  "  cried  Zeke,  "  we'll  have  to  get  a  rope  ; 
run  to  the  house,  Shorty,  and  fetch  one." 

The  end  of  this  being  attached,  we  took  plenty  of 
room,  and  strained  away  once  more. 

"  Give  us  a  song,  Shorty,"  said  the  doctor,  who  was 
rather  sociable,  on  a  short  acquaintance.  Where  the 
work  to  be  accomplished  is  any  way  difficult,  this  mode 
of  enlivening  toil  is  quite  efficacious  among  sailors.  So, 
willing  to  make  everything  as  cheerful  as  possible, 
Shorty  struck  up,  "  Were  you  ever  in  Dumbarton  ?  "  a 
marvellously  inspiring,  but  somewhat  indecorous  wind- 
lass chorus. 

At  last,  the  Yankee  cast  a  damper  on  his  enthusiasm, 
by  exclaiming,  in  a  pet,  "  Oh !  dumn  your  singing !  keep 
quiet,  and  pull  away !  "  This  we  now  did,  in  the  most 
uninteresting  silence ;  until,  with  a  jerk  that  made  every 
elbow  hum,  the  root  dragged  out ;  and,  most  inelegantly, 
we  all  landed  upon  the  ground.  The  doctor,  quite  ex- 
hausted, stayed  there ;  and,  deluded  into  believing  that, 
after  so  doughty  a  performance,  we  would  be  allowed  a 
cessation  of  toil,  took  off  his  hat,  and  fanned  himself. 

"  Rayther  a  hard  customer,  that,  Peter,"  observed  the 
Yankee,  going  up  to  him :  "  but  it's  no  use  for  any  on  'em 
to  hang  back ;  for,  I'm  dumned  if  they  hain't  got  to  come 
out,  whether  or  no.     Hurrah  !  let's  get  at  it  agin  !  " 

"  Mercy ! "  ejaculated  the  doctor,  rising  slowly,  and 
turning  round.     "  He'll  be  the  death  of  us  !  " 

Falling  to  with  our  hoes  again,  we  worked  singly,  or 


FARMING  IN  POLYNESIA.  239 

together,  as  occasion  required,  until  "  nooning  time  ' 
came. 

The  period,  so  called  by  the  planters,  embraced  about 
three  hours  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  during  which  it 
was  so  excessively  hot,  in  this  still  brooding  valley,  shut 
out  from  the  Trades,  and  only  open  toward  the  leeward 
side  of  the  island,  that  labour  in  the  sun  was  out  of  the 
question.  To  use  a  hyperbolical  phrase  of  Shorty's, 
"  It  was  hot  enough  to  melt  the  nose  h'off  a  brass 
monkey." 

Returning  to  the  house,  Shorty,  assisted  by  old  Tonoi, 
cooked  the  dinner;  and,  after  we  had  all  partaken 
thereof,  both  the  Cockney  and  Zeke  threw  themselves 
into  one  of  the  hammocks,  inviting  us  to  occupy  the 
other.  Thinking  it  no  bad  idea,  we  did  so ;  and,  after 
skirmishing  with  the  musquitoes,  managed  to  fall  into  a 
doze.  As  for  the  planters,  more  accustomed  to  "  Noon- 
ing," they,  at  once,  presented  a  nuptial  back  to  each 
other;  and  were  soon  snoring  away  at  a  great  rate. 
Tonoi  snoozed  on  a  mat  in  one  corner. 

At  last,  we  were  roused  by  Zeke's  crying  out,  "  Up ! 
b'ys,  up !  rise,  and  shine  ;  time  to  get  at  it  agin  !  " 

Looking  at  the  doctor,  I  perceived  very  plainly  that 
he  had  decided  upon  something. 

In  a  languid  voice,  he  told  Zeke,  that  he  was  not  very 
well :  indeed,  that  he  had  not  been  himself  for  some 
time  past ;  though  a  little  rest,  no  doubt,  would  recruit 
him.  The  Yankee,  thinking  from  this  that  our  valuable 
services  might  be  lost  to  him  altogether,  were  he  too 
hard  upon  us  at  the  outset,  at  once  begged  us  both  to 
consult  our  own  feelings,  and  not  exert  ourselves  for  the 
present,  unless  we  felt  like  it.  Then  —  without  recog- 
nizing the  fact,  that  my  comrade  claimed  to  be  actually 
unwell  —  he  simply   suggested,  that,  since  he  was  so 


240  omoo. 

tired,  he  had  better,  perhaps,  swing  in  his  hammock  for 
the  rest  of  the  day.  If  agreeable,  however,  I  myself 
might  accompany  him  upon  a  little  bullock  hunting  ex- 
cursion, in  the  neighbouring  hills.  In  this  proposition, 
I  gladly  acquiesced ;  though  Peter,  who  was  a  great 
sportsman,  put  on  a  long  face.  The  muskets  and  am- 
munition were  forthwith  got  down  from  overhead ;  and, 
everything  being  then  ready,  Zeke  cried  out,  "Tonoi! 
come ;  aramai !  (get  up)  we  want  you  for  pilot.  Shorty, 
my  lad,  look  arter  things,  you  know ;  and,  if  you  likes, 
why,  there's  them  roots  in  the  field  yonder." 

Having  thus  arranged  his  domestic  affairs  to  please 
himself,  though  little  to  Shorty's  satisfaction  I  thought, 
he  slung  his  powder-horn  over  his  shoulder,  and  we 
started.  Tonoi  was  at  once  sent  on  in  advance ;  and, 
leaving  the  plantation,  he  struck  into  a  path  which  led 
toward  the  mountains. 

After  hurrying  through  the  thickets  for  some  time, 
we  came  out  into  the  sunlight,  in  an  open  glade,  just 
under  the  shadow  of  the  hills.  Here,  Zeke  pointed  aloft 
to  a  beetling  crag,  far  distant ;  where  a  bullock,  with 
horns  thrown  back,  stood  like  a  statue. 


CHAPTER   LIV. 

SOME  ACCOUNT   OF    THE  WILD   CATTLE  IN   POLYNESIA. 

Before  we  proceed  further,  a  word  or  two  concern- 
ing these  wild  cattle,  and  the  way  they  came  on  the 
island. 

Some  fifty  years  ago,  Vancouver  left  several  bullocks, 
sheep,  and  goats,  at  various  places  in  the  Society  group. 


WILD   CATTLE  IN  POLYNESIA.  241 

He  instructed  the  natives  to  look  after  the  animals  care- 
fully ;  and  by  no  means  to  slaughter  any,  until  a  con- 
siderable stock  had  accumulated. 

The  sheep  must  have  died  off ;  for  I  never  saw  a  soli- 
tary fleece  in  any  part  of  Polynesia.  The  pair  left  were 
an  ill-assorted  couple,  perhaps ;  separated  in  disgust,  and 
died  without  issue. 

As  for  the  goats,  occasionally  you  come  across  a 
black,  misanthropic  ram,  nibbling  the  scant  herbage  of 
some  height  inaccessible  to  man,  in  preference  to  the 
sweet  grasses  of  the  valley  below.  The  goats  are  not 
very  numerous. 

The  bullocks,  coming  of  a  prolific  ancestry,  are  a 
hearty  set,  racing  over  the  island  of  Imeeo  in  consider- 
able numbers;  though  in  Tahiti  but  few  of  them  are 
seen.  At  the  former  place,  the  original  pair  must  have 
scampered  off  to  the  interior,  since  it  is  now  so  thickly 
populated  by  their  wild  progeny.  The  herds  are  the 
private  property  of  Queen  Pomaree ;  from  whom  the 
planters  had  obtained  permission  to  shoot  for  their  own 
use  as  many  as  they  pleased. 

The  natives  stand  in  great  awe  of  these  cattle ;  and, 
for  this  reason,  are  excessively  timid  in  crossing  the 
island,  preferring  rather  to  sail  round  to  an  opposite  vil- 
lage in  their  canoes. 

Tonoi  abounded  in  bullock  stories ;  most  of  which,  by 
the  by,  had  a  spice  of  the  marvellous.  The  following  is 
one  of  these. 

Once  upon  a  time,  he  was  going  over  the  hills  with  a 
brother  —  now  no  more  —  when  a  great  bull  came  bel- 
lowing out  of  a  wood,  and  both  took  to  their  heels.  The 
old  chief  sprang  into  a  tree  ;  his  companion,  flying  in  an 
opposite  direction,  was  pursued,  and  in  the  very  act  of 
reaching  up  to  a  bough,  trampled  under  foot.     The  un- 


242  omoo. 

happy  man  was  then  gored  —  tossed  in  the  air  —  and 
finally  run  away  with  on  the  bull's  horns.  More  dead 
than  alive,  Tonoi  waited  till  all  was  over,  and  then  made 
the  best  of  his  way  home.  The  neighbours,  armed  with 
two  or  three  muskets,  at  once  started  to  recover,  if  pos- 
sible, his  unfortunate  brother's  remains.  At  nightfall, 
they  returned  without  discovering  any  trace  of  him ;  but 
the  next  morning,  Tonoi  himself  caught  a  glimpse  of  a 
bullock,  inarching  across  the  mountain's  brow,  with  a 
long  dark  object  borne  aloft  on  his  horns. 

Having  referred  to  Vancouver's  attempts  to  colonize 
the  islands  with  useful  quadrupeds,  we  may  as  well  say 
something  corncerning  his  success  upon  Hawaii,  one  of 
the  largest  islands  in  the  whole  Polynesian  Archipelago  ; 
and  which  gives  the  native  name  to  the  well-known 
cluster  named  by  Cook  in  honour  of  Lord   Sandwich. 

Hawaii  is  some  one  hundred  leagues  in  circuit,  and 
covers  an  area  of  over  four  thousand  square  miles. 
Until  within  a  few  years  past,  its  interior  was  almost 
unknown,  even  to  the  inhabitants  themselves,  who,  for 
ages,  had  been  prevented  from  wandering  thither,  by 
certain  strange  superstitions.  Pele,  the  terrific  goddess 
of  the  volcanoes  Mauna  Roa  and  Mauna  Kea,1  was  sup- 
posed to  guard  all  the  passes  to  the  extensive  valleys 
lying  round  their  base.  There  are  legends  of  her  having 
chased  with  streams  of  fire  several  impious  adventurers. 
Near  Hilo,  a  jet-black  cliff  is  shown,  with  the  vitreous 
torrent  apparently  pouring  over  into  the  sea;  just  as  it 
cooled  after  one  of  these  supernatural  eruptions. 

To  these  inland  valleys,  and  the  adjoining  hillsides, 

1  Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  volcanoes  in  the  World.  For  very  in- 
teresting accounts  of  three  adventurous  expeditions  to  their  summits 
(fourteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea),  see  Lord  Byron's  Voy- 
age of  H.  B.  M.  Ship  Blonde;  Ellis's  Journal  of  a  Visit  to  the  Sandwich 
Islands  ;  and  Wilkes's  Narrative  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition. 


WILD  CATTLE  IN  POLYNESIA.  243 

which  are  clothed  in  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation, 
Vancouver's  bullocks  soon  wandered  ;  and,  unmolested 
for  a  long  period,  multiplied  in  vast  herds. 

Some  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago,  the  natives,  losing 
sight  of  their  superstitions,  and  learning  the  value  of  the 
hides  in  commerce,  began  hunting  the  creatures  that 
wore  them ;  but  being  very  fearful  and  awkward  in  a 
business  so  novel,  their  success  was  small ;  and  it  was 
not  until  the  arrival  of  a  party  of  Spanish  hunters,  men 
regularly  trained  to  their  calling  upon  the  plains  of  Cali- 
fornia, that  the  work  of  slaughter  was  fairly  begun. 

The  Spaniards  were  showy  fellows,  tricked  out  in  gay 
blankets,  leggings  worked  with  porcupine  quills,  and 
jingling  spurs.  Mounted  upon  trained  Indian  mares, 
these  heroes  pursued  their  prey  up  to  the  very  base  of 
the  burning  mountains ;  making  the  prof  oundest  solitudes 
ring  with  their  shouts,  and  flinging  the  lasso  under  the 
very  nose  of  the  vixen  goddess  Pele.  Hilo,  a  village 
upon  the  coast,  was  their  place  of  resort ;  and  thither 
flocked  roving  whites  from  all  the  islands  of  the  group. 
As  pupils  of  the  dashing  Spaniards,  many  of  these  dissi- 
pated fellows,  quaffing  too  freely  of  the  stirrup-cup,  and 
riding  headlong  after  the  herds,  when  they  reeled  in  the 
saddle,  were  unhorsed  and  killed. 

This  was  about  the  year  1835,  when  the  present  king, 
Kamehameha  III.,  was  a  lad.  With  royal  impudence, 
laying  claim  to  the  sole  property  of  the  cattle,  he  was 
delighted  with  the  idea  of  receiving  one  of  every  two 
silver  dollars  paid  down  for  their  hides ;  so,  with  no 
thought  for  the  future,  the  work  of  extermination  went 
madly  on.  In  three  years'  time  eighteen  thousand  bul- 
locks were  slain,  almost  entirely  upon  the  single  island 
of  Hawaii. 

The  herds  being  thus  nearly  destroyed,  the  sagacious 


244  omoo. 

young  prince  imposed  a  rigorous  "  taboo  "  upon  the  few 
surviving  cattle,  which  was  to  remain  in  force  for 
ten  years.  During  this  period  —  not  yet  expired  —  all 
hunting  is  forbidden,  unless  directly  authorized  by  the 
king. 

The  massacre  of  the  cattle  extended  to  the  hapless 
goats.  In  one  year,  three  thousand  of  their  skins  were 
sold  to  the  merchants  of  Honolulu,  fetching  a  quartilia, 
or  a  shilling  sterling,  apiece. 

After  this  digression,  it  is  time  to  run  on  after  Tonoi 
and  the  Yankee. 


CHAPTER  LV. 

A  HUNTING   RAMBLE   WITH   ZEKE. 

At  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  a  steep  path  went  up 
among  rocks  and  clefts,  mantled  with  verdure.  Here 
and  there  were  green  gulfs,  down  which  it  made  one 
giddy  to  peep.  At  last  we  gained  an  overhanging, 
wooded  shelf  of  land  which  crowned  the  heights ;  and 
along  this,  the  path,  well  shaded,  ran  like  a  gallery. 

In  every  direction,  the  scenery  was  enchanting.  There 
was  a  low,  rustling  breeze ;  and  below,  in  the  vale,  the 
leaves  were  quivering ;  the  sea  lay,  blue  and  serene,  in 
the  distance ;  and  inland  the  surface  swelled  up,  ridge 
after  ridge,  and  peak  upon  peak,  all  bathed  in  the  Indian 
haze  of  the  tropics,  and  dreamy  to  look  upon.  Still  val- 
leys, leagues  away,  reposed  in  the  deep  shadows  of  the 
mountains  ;  and  here  and  there,  waterfalls  lifted  up  their 
voices  in  the  solitude.  High  above  all,  and  central,  the 
"  Marling-spike  "  lifted  its  finger.     Upon  the  hillsides, 


>l  I  saluted  him  with  a  charge  as  he  disappeared." 

—Page  245. 


A  HUNTING  RAMBLE   WITH  ZEKE.  245 

small  groups  of  bullocks  were  seen ;  some  quietly  brows- 
ing ;  others  slowly  winding  into  the  valleys. 

We  went  on,  directing  our  course  for  a  slope  of  the 
hills,  a  mile  or  two  further,  where  the  nearest  bullocks 
were  seen. 

We  were  cautious  in  keeping  to  windward  of  them ; 
their  sense  of  smell  and  hearing  being,  like  those  of  all 
wild  creatures,  exceedingly  acute. 

As  there  was  no  knowing  that  we  might  not  surprise 
some  other  kind  of  game  in  the  coverts  through  which 
we  were  passing,  we  crept  along  warily. 

The  wild  hogs  of  the  island  are  uncommonly  fierce ; 
and  as  they  often  attack  the  natives,  I  could  not  help 
following  Tonoi's  example  of  once  in  a  while  peeping 
in  under  the  foliage.  Frequent  retrospective  glances, 
also,  served  to  assure  me  that  our  retreat  was  not  cut 
off. 

As  we  rounded  a  clump  of  bushes,  a  noise  behind  them, 
like  the  crackling  of  dry  branches,  broke  the  stillness. 
In  an  instant  Tonoi's  hand  was  on  a  bough,  ready  for  a 
spring,  and  Zeke's  finger  touched  the  trigger  of  his  piece. 
Again  the  stillness  was  broken ;  and  thinking  it  high 
time  to  get  ready,  I  brought  my  musket  to  my  shoul- 
der. 

"Look  sharp!"  cried  the  Yankee;  and  dropping  on 
one  knee,  he  brushed  the  twigs  aside.  Presently,  off  went 
his  piece ;  and  with  a  wild  snort,  a  black,  bristling  boar 

—  his  cherry  red  lip  curled  up  by  two  glittering  tusks 

—  dashed,  unharmed,  across  the  path,  and  crashed  through 
the  opposite  thicket.  I  saluted  him  with  a  charge  as  he 
disappeared ;  but  not  the  slightest  notice  was  taken  of 
the  civility. 

By  this  time  Tonoi,  the  illustrious  descendant  of  the 
Bishops  of  Imeeo,  was  twenty  feet  from  the  ground. 


246  OMOO. 

"  Aramai !  come  down,  you  old  fool ! "  cried  the  Yankee ; 
"  the  pesky  critter's  on  t'other  side  of  the  island  afore 
this. 

"  I  rayther  guess,"  he  continued,  as  we  began  reload- 
ing, "  that  we've  spoiled  sport  by  firing  at  that  ere  'tarnal 
hog.  Them  bullocks  heard  the  racket,  and  is  flinging 
their  tails  about  now  on  the  keen  jump.  Quick,  Paul, 
and  let's  climb  that  rock  yonder,  and  see  if  so  be  there's 
any  in  sight." 

But  none  were  to  be  seen,  except  at  such  a  distance 
that  they  looked  like  ants. 

As  evening  was  now  at  hand,  my  companion  proposed 
our  returning  home  forthwith ;  and  then,  after  a  sound 
night's  rest,  starting  in  the  morning  upon  a  good  day's 
hunt  with  the  whole  force  of  the  plantation. 

Following  another  path,  in  descending  into  the  valley, 
we  passed  through  some  nobly  wooded  land  on  the  face 
of  the  mountain. 

One  variety  of  tree  particularly  attracted  my  attention. 
The  dark  mossy  stem,  over  seventy  feet  high,  was  per- 
fectly branchless  for  many  feet  above  the  ground,  when 
it  shot  out  in  broad  boughs  laden  with  lustrous  leaves  of 
the  deepest  green.  And  all  round  the  lower  part  of  the 
trunk,  thin,  slab-like  buttresses  of  bark,  perfectly  smooth, 
and  radiating  from  a  common  centre,  projected  along  the 
ground  for  at  least  two  yards.  From  below,  these  nat- 
ural props  tapered  upward  until  gradually  blended  with 
the  trunk  itself.  There  were  signs  of  the  wild  cattle 
having  sheltered  themselves  behind  them.  Zeke  called 
this  the  canoe-tree ;  as  in  old  times  it  supplied  the  navies 
of  the  kings  of  Tahiti.  For  canoe-building  the  wood  is 
still  used.  Being  extremely  dense,  and  impervious  to 
worms,  it  is  very  durable. 

Emerging  from  the  forest,  when  half-way  down  the 


A  HUNTING  RAMBLE   WITH  ZEKE.  247 

hillside,  we  came  upon  an  open  space,  covered  with  ferns 
and  grass,  over  which  a  few  lonely  trees  were  casting 
long  shadows  in  the  setting  sun.  Here,  a  piece  of  ground 
some  hundred  feet  square,  covered  with  weeds  and  bram- 
bles, and  sounding  hollow  to  the  tread,  was  enclosed  by 
a  ruinous  wall  of  stones.  Tonoi  said  it  was  an  almost 
forgotten  burial-place,  of  great  antiquity,  where  no  one 
had  been  interred  since  the  islanders  had  been  Christians. 
Sealed  up  in  dry,  deep  vaults,  many  a  dead  heathen  was 
lying  here. 

Curious  to  prove  the  old  man's  statement,  I  was 
anxious  to  get  a  peep  at  the  catacombs ;  but,  hermetically 
overgrown  with  vegetation  as  they  were,  no  aperture 
was  visible. 

Before  gaining  the  level  of  the  valley,  we  passed  by 
the  site  of  a  village,  near  a  watercourse,  long  since  de- 
serted. There  was  nothing  but  stone  walls,  and  rude 
dismantled  foundations  of  houses,  constructed  of  the 
same  material.  Large  trees  and  brushwood  were  grow- 
ing rankly  among  them. 

I  asked  Tonoi  how  long  it  was  since  any  one  had  lived 
here.  "  Me,  tamaree  (boy)  —  plenty  kanaka  (men) 
Martair."  he  replied.  "  Now,  only  poor  pehe  kanaka 
(fishermen)  left  —  me  born  here." 

Going  down  the  valley,  vegetation  of  every  kind  pre- 
sented a  different  aspect  from  that  of  the  high  land. 

Chief  among  the  trees  of  the  plain  on  this  island,  is 
the  Ati,  large  and  lofty,  with  a  massive  trunk,  and 
broad,  laurel-shaped  leaves.  The  wood  is  splendid.  In 
Tahiti,  I  was  shown  a  narrow,  polished  plank,  fit  to  make 
a  cabinet  for  a  king.  Taken  from  the  heart  of  the  tree, 
it  was  of  a  deep,  rich  scarlet,  traced  with  yellow  veins, 
and  in  some  places  clouded  with  hazel. 

In  the  same  grove  with  the  regal  Ati  you  may  see  the 


248  omoo. 

beautiful  (lowering  Hotoo  ;  its  pyramid  of  shining  leaves 
diversified  with  numberless  small,  white  blossoms. 

Planted  with  trees  as  the  valley  is,  almost  throughout 
its  entire  length,  I  was  astonished  to  observe  so  very 
few  which  were  useful  to  the  natives :  not  one  in  a  hun- 
dred was  a  cocoa-nut  or  bread-fruit  tree. 

But  here  Tonoi  again  enlightened  me.  In  the  san- 
guinary religious  hostilities  which  ensued  upon  the  con- 
version to  Christianity  of  the  first  Pomaree,  a  war  party 
from  Tahiti  destroyed  (by  girdling  the  bark)  entire 
groves  of  these  invaluable  trees.  For  some  time  after- 
ward, they  stood  stark  and  leafless  in  the  sun ;  sad  monu- 
ments of  the  fate  which  befell  the  inhabitants  of  the 
valley. 


CHAPTER    LVI. 

MUSQUITOES. 

The  night  following  the  hunting  trip,  Long  Ghost 
and  myself,  after  a  valiant  defence,  had  to  fly  the  house 
on  account  of  the  musquitoes. 

And  here  I  cannot  avoid  relating  a  story,  rife  among 
the  natives,  concerning  the  manner  in  which  these  in- 
sects were  introduced  upon  the  island. 

Some  years  previous,  a  whaling  captain,  touching  at 
an  adjoining  bay,  got  into  difficulty  with  its  inhabitants, 
and  at  last  carried  his  complaint  before  one  of  the  native 
tribunals ;  but  receiving  no  satisfaction,  and  deeming 
himself  aggrieved,  he  resolved  upon  taking  signal  re- 
venge. One  night,  he  towed  a  rotten  old  water-cask 
ashore,   and  left  it  in  a  neglected   Taro  patch,  where 


MUSQUITOES.  249 

the  ground  was  warm  and  moist.     Hence  the  musqui- 
toes. 

I  tried  my  best  to  learn  the  name  of  this  man :  and 
hereby  do  what  I  can  to  hand  it  down  to  posterity.  It 
was  Coleman  —  Nathan  Coleman.  The  ship  belonged  to 
Nantucket. 

When  tormented  by  the  musquitoes,  I  found  much 
relief  in  coupling  the  word  "  Coleman  "  with  another  of 
one  syllable,  and  pronouncing  them  together  energeti- 
cally. 

The  doctor  suggested  a  walk  to  the  beach,  where  there 
was  a  long,  low  shed  tumbling  to  pieces,  but  open  length- 
wise to  a  current  of  air  which  he  thought  might  keep 
off  the  musquitoes.     So  thither  we  went. 

The  ruin  partially  sheltered  a  relic  of  times  gone  by, 
which,  a  few  days  after,  we  examined  with  much  curi- 
osity. It  was  an  old  war-canoe,  crumbling  to  dust. 
Being  supported  by  the  same  rude  blocks  upon  which, 
apparently,  it  had  years  before  been  hollowed  out,  in  all 
probability  it  had  never  been  afloat. 

Outside,  it  seemed  originally  stained  of  a  green  colour 
which,  here  and  there,  was  now  changed  into  a  dingy 
purple.  The  prow  terminated  in  a  high,  blunt  beak; 
both  sides  were  covered  with  carving;  and  upon  the 
stern  was  something  which  Long  Ghost  maintained  to 
be  the  arms  of  the  royal  House  of  Pomaree.  The  device 
had  an  heraldic  look,  certainly  —  being  two  sharks  with 
the  talons  of  hawks  clawing  a  knot  left  projecting  from 
the  wood. 

The  canoe  was  at  least  forty  feet  long,  about  two  wide, 
and  four  deep.  The  upper  part  —  consisting  of  narrow 
planks  laced  together  with  cords  of  sinnate  —  had  in 
many  places  fallen  off,  and  lay  decaying  upon  the  ground. 
StilX  there  were  ample  accommodations  left  for  sleeping ; 


250  omoo. 

and  in  we  sprang  —  the  doctor  into  the  bow,  and  I  into 
the  stern.  I  soon  fell  asleep;  but  waking  suddenly, 
cramped  in  every  joint  from  my  constrained  posture,  I 
thought,  for  an  instant,  that  I  must  have  been  prema- 
turely screwed  down  in  my  coffin. 

Presenting  my  compliments  to  Long  Ghost,  I  asked 
how  it  fared  with  him. 

"  Bad  enough,"  he  replied,  as  he  tossed  about  in  the 
outlandish  rubbish  lying  in  the  bottom  of  our  couch. 
"  Pah  !  how  those  old  mats  smell !  " 

As  he  continued  talking  in  this  exciting  strain  for 
some  time,  I  at  last  made  no  reply,  having  resumed  cer- 
tain mathematical  reveries  to  induce  repose.  But  find- 
ing the  multiplication-table  of  no  avail,  I  summoned  up 
a  greyish  image  of  chaos  in  a  sort  of  sliding  fluidity,  and 
was  just  falling  into  a  nap  on  the  strength  of  it,  when  I 
heard  a  solitary  and  distinct  buzz.  The  hour  of  my 
calamity  was  at  hand.  One  blended  hum,  the  creature 
darted  into  the  canoe  like  a  small  sword-fish ;  and  I  out 
of  it. 

Upon  getting  into  the  open  air,  to  my  surprise,  there 
was  Long  Ghost,  fanning  himself  wildly  with  an  old 
paddle.  He  had  just  made  a  noiseless  escape  from  a 
swarm,  which  had  attacked  his  own  end  of  the  canoe. 

It  was  now  proposed  to  try  the  water ;  so  a  small  fish- 
ing canoe,  hauled  up  near  by,  was  quickly  launched ; 
and  paddling  a  good  distance  off,  we  dropped  over- 
board the  native  contrivance  for  an  anchor  —  a  heavy 
stone,  attached  to  a  cable  of  braided  bark.  At  this 
part  of  the  island,  the  encircling  reef  was  close  to  the 
shore,  leaving  the  water  within  smooth,  and  extremely 
shallow. 

It  was  a  blessed  thought !  We  knew  nothing  till  sun- 
rise, when  the  motion  of  our  aquatic  cot  awakened  us. 


THE  SECOND  HUNT  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  251 

I  looked  up,  and  beheld  Zeke  wading  toward  the  shore, 
and  towing  us  after  him  by  the  bark  cable.  Pointing  to 
the  reef,  he  told  us  we  had  had  a  narrow  escape. 

It  was  true  enough ;  the  water-sprites  had  rolled  our 
stone  out  of  its  noose,  and  we  had  floated  away. 


CHAPTER  LVII. 

THE   SECOND   HUNT   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

Fair  dawned,  over  the  hills  of  Martair,  the  jocund 
morning  of  our  hunt. 

Everything  had  been  prepared  for  it  overnight ;  and, 
when  we  arrived  at  the  house,  a  good  breakfast  was 
spread  by  Shorty :  and  old  Tonoi  was  bustling  about 
like  an  innkeeper.  Several  of  his  men,  also,  were  in 
attendance,  to  accompany  us  with  calabashes  of  food  ; 
and,  in  case  we  met  with  any  success,  to  officiate  as 
bearers  of  burdens,  on  our  return. 

Apprised,  the  evening  previous,  of  the  meditated  sport, 
the  doctor  had  announced  his  willingness  to  take  part 
therein. 

Now,  subsequent  events  made  us  regard  this  expedi- 
tion as  a  shrewd  device  of  the  Yankee's.  Once  get  us 
off  on  a  pleasure  trip,  and  with  what  face  could  we  after- 
wards refuse  to  work?  Besides,  he  enjoyed  all  the 
credit  of  giving  us  a  holiday.  Nor  did  he  omit  assur- 
ing us,  that,  work  or  play,  our  wages  were  all  the  while 
running  on. 

A  dilapidated  old  musket  of  Tonoi's  was  borrowed  for 
the  doctor.  It  was  exceedingly  short  and  heavy,  with  a 
clumsy  lock,  which  required  a  strong  finger  to  pull  the 


252^'  omoo. 

trigger.  On  trying  the  piece,  by  firing  at  a  mark,  Long 
Ghost  was  satisfied  that  it  could  not  fail  of  doing  execu- 
tion :  the  charge  went  one  way,  and  he  the  other. 

Upon  this,  he  endeavoured  to  negotiate  an  exchange 
of  muskets  with  Shorty ;  but  the  Cockney  was  proof 
against  his  blandishments ;  at  last  he  intrusted  his 
weapon  to  one  of  the  natives  to  carry  for  him. 

Marshalling  our  forces,  we  started  for  the  head  of  the 
valley  ;  near  which,  a  path  ascended  to  a  range  of  high 
land,  said  to  be  a  favourite  resort  of  the  cattle. 

Shortly  after  gaining  the  heights,  a  small  herd,  some 
way  off,  was  perceived  entering  a  wood.  We  hurried 
on  ;  and,  dividing  our  party,  went  in  after  them,  at  four 
different  points;  each  white  man  followed  by  several 
natives. 

I  soon  found  myself  in  a  dense  covert ;  and,  after  look- 
ing round,  was  just  emerging  into  a  clear  space,  when  I 
heard  a  report,  and  a  bullet  knocked  the  bark  from  a  tree 
near  by.  The  same  instant,  there  was  a  trampling  and 
crashing  ;  and  five  bullocks,  nearly  abreast,  broke  into 
view  across  the  opening,  and  plunged  right  towards  the 
spot  where  myself  and  three  of  the  islanders  were  stand- 
ing. 

They  were  small,  black,  vicious-looking  creatures ; 
with  short,  sharp  horns,  red  nostrils,  and  eyes  like  coals 
of  fire.  On  they  came  —  their  dark  woolly  heads  hang- 
ing down. 

By  this  time,  my  island  backers  were  roosting  among 
the  trees.  Glancing  round,  for  an  instant,  to  discover  a 
retreat  in  case  of  emergency,  I  raised  my  piece,  when  a 
voice  cried  out,  from  the  wood,  "Right  between  the 
'orns,  Paul !  right  between  the  'orns  !  "  Down  went  my 
barrel,  in  range  with  a  small  white  tuft  on  the  forehead 
of  the  headmost  one ;  and,  letting  him  have  it,  I  darted 


THE  SECOND  HUNT  IN   THE  MOUNTAINS.  253 

to  one  side.  As  I  turned  again,  the  five  bullocks  shot 
by  like  a  blast,  making  the  air  eddy  in  their  wake. 

The  Yankee  now  burst  into  view,  and  saluted  them  in 
flank.  Whereupon,  the  fierce  little  bull  with  the  tufted 
forehead  flirted  his  long  tail  over  his  buttocks,  kicked 
out  with  his  hind  feet,  and  shot  forward  a  full  length. 
In  was  nothing  but  a  graze  ;  and  in  an  instant  they  were 
out  of  sight,  the  thicket  into  which  they  broke  rocking 
overhead,  and  marking  their  progress. 

The  action  over,  the  heavy  artillery  came  up,  in  the 
person  of  the  Long  Doctor,  with  his  blunderbuss. 

"  Where  are  they  ?  "  he  cried,  out  of  breath. 

"  A  mile  or  two  hoff,  by  this  time,"  replied  the  Cock- 
ney. u  Lord,  Paul !  you  ought  to've  sent  an  'ail  stone 
into  that  little  black  'un." 

While  excusing  my  want  of  skill  as  well  as  I  could, 
Zeke,  rushing  forward,  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  Creation ! 
what  are  you  'bout  there,  Peter  ?  " 

Peter,  incensed  at  our  ill  luck,  and  ignorantly  imput- 
ing it  to  the  cowardice  of  our  native  auxiliaries,  was 
bringing  his  piece  to  bear  upon  his  trembling  squire  — 
the  musket  carrier  —  now  descending  a  tree. 

Pulling  trigger,  the  bullet  went  high  over  his  head  ; 
and  hopping  to  the  ground,  bellowing  like  a  calf,  the 
fellow  ran  away  as  fast  as  his  heels  could  carry  him. 
The  rest  followed  us,  after  this,  with  fear  and  trembling.. 

After  forming  our  line  of  march  anew,  we  went  on 
for  several  hours,  without  catching  a  glimpse  of  the 
game ;  the  reports  of  the  muskets  having  been  heard  at 
a  great  distance.  At  last,  we  mounted  a  craggy  height, 
to  obtain  a  wide  view  of  the  country.  From  this  place, 
we  beheld  three  cattle,  quietly  browsing  in  a  green  open- 
ing of  a  wood  below ;  the  trees  shutting  them  in  all 
round. 


254  omoo. 

A  general  re-examination  of  the  muskets  now  took 
place,  followed  by  a  hasty  lunch  from  the  calabashes : 
we  then  started.  As  we  descended  the  mountain-side, 
the  cattle  were  in  plain  sight,  until  we  entered  the  forest, 
when  we  lost  sight  of  them  for  a  moment ;  but  only  to 
see  them  again,  as  we  crept  close  up  to  the  spot  where 
they  grazed. 

They  were  a  bull,  a  cow,  and  a  calf.  The  cow  was 
lying  down  in  the  shade,  by  the  edge  of  the  wood ;  the 
calf  sprawling  out  before  her  in  the  grass,  licking  her 
lips;  while  old  Taurus  himself  stood  close  by,  casting 
a  paternal  glance  at  this  domestic  little  scene,  and  con- 
jugally elevating  his  nose  in  the  air. 

"Now,  then,"  said  Zeke,  in  a  whisper,  "let's  take  the 
poor  creeturs,  while  they  are  huddled  together.  Crawl 
along,  b'ys,  crawl  along.  Fire  together,  mind ;  and  not 
till  I  say  the  word." 

We  crept  np  to  the  very  edge  of  the  open  ground, 
and  knelt  behind  a  clump  of  bushes,  resting  our  lev- 
elled barrels  among  the  branches.  The  slight  rustling 
was  heard.  Taurus  turned  round,  dropped  his  head  to 
the  ground,  and  sent  forth  a  low,  sullen  bellow ;  then 
snuffed  the  air.  The  cow  rose  on  her  fore  knees,  pitched 
forward  alarmedly,  and  stood  upon  her  legs  ;  while  the 
calf,  with  ears  pricked,  got  right  underneath  her.  All 
three  were  now  grouped,  and,  in  an  instant,  would  be 
off. 

"  I  take  the  bull,"  cried  our  leader ;  "  fire  !  " 

The  calf  fell  like  a  clod ;  its  dam  uttered  a  cry,  and 
thrust  her  head  into  the  thicket;  but  she  turned,  and 
came  moaning  up  to  the  lifeless  calf,  going  round  and 
round  it,  snuffing  fiercely  with  her  bleeding  nostrils. 
A  crashing  in  the  wood,  and  a  loud  roar,  announced  the 
flying  bull. 


THE  SECOND  HUNT  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  255 

Soon,  another  shot  was  fired,  and  the  cow  fell.  Leav- 
ing some  of  the  natives  to  look  after  the  dead  cattle,  the 
rest  of  us  hurried  on  after  the  bull ;  his  dreadful  bellow- 
ings  guiding  us  to  the  spot  where  he  lay.  Wounded  in 
the  shoulder,  in  his  fright  and  agony  he  had  bounded 
into  the  wood ;  but  when  we  came  up  to  him,  he  had 
sunk  to  the  earth  in  a  green  hollow,  thrusting  his  black 
muzzle  into  a  pool  of  his  own  blood,  and  tossing  it  over 
his  hide  in  clots. 

The  Yankee  brought  his  piece  to  a  rest ;  and,  the 
next  instant,  the  wild  brute  sprang  into  the  air,  and 
with  his  fore  legs  crouching  under  him,  fell  dead. 

Our  island  friends  were  now  in  high  spirits  ;  all  cour- 
age and  alacrity.  Old  Tonoi  thought  nothing  of  taking 
poor  Taurus  himself  by  the  horns,  and  peering  into  his 
glazed  eyes. 

Our  ship  knives  were  at  once  in  request ;  and,  skin- 
ning the  cattle,  we  hung  them  high  up  by  cords  of  bark 
from  the  boughs  of  a  tree.  Withdrawing  into  a  covert, 
we  there  waited  for  the  wild  hogs  ;  which,  according  to 
Zeke,  would  soon  make  their  appearance,  lured  by  the 
smell  of  blood.  Presently,  we  heard  them  coming,  in 
two  or  three  different  directions  ;  and,  in  a  moment, 
they  were  tearing  the  offal  to  pieces. 

As  only  one  shot  at  these  creatures  could  be  relied  on, 
we  intended  firing  simultaneously ;  but,  some  how  or 
other,  the  doctor's  piece  went  off  by  itself,  and  one  of 
the  hogs  dropped.  The  others  then  breaking  into  the 
thicket,  the  rest  of  us  sprang  after  them,  resolved  to 
have  another  shot  at  all  hazards. 

The  Cockney  darted  among  some  bushes  ;  and,  a  few 
moments  after,  we  heard  the  report  of  his  musket,  fol- 
lowed by  a  quick  cry.  On  running  up,  we  saw  our  com- 
rade doing  battle  with  a  young  devil  of  a  boar,  as  black 


256  omoo. 

as  night,  whose  snout  had  been  partly  torn  away.  Firing 
when  the  game  was  in  full  career,  and  coming  directly 
toward  him,  Shorty  had  been  assailed  by  the  enraged 
brute ;  it  was  now  crunching  the  breech  of  the  musket, 
with  which  he  had  tried  to  club  it ;  Shorty  holding  fast 
to  the  barrel,  and  fingering  his  waist  for  a  knife.  Being 
in  advance  of  the  others,  I  clapped  my  gun  to  the  boar's 
head,  and  so  put  an  end  to  the  contest. 

Evening  now  coming  on,  we  set  to  work  loading  our 
carriers.  The  cattle  were  so  small,  that  a  stout  native 
could  walk  off  with  an  entire  quarter ;  brushing  through 
thickets,  and  descending  rocks  without  an  apparent 
effort :  though,  to  tell  the  truth,  no  white  man  present 
could  have  done  the  thing  with  any  ease.  As  for  the 
wild  hogs,  none  of  the  islanders  could  be  induced 
to  carry  Shorty's ;  some  invincible  superstition  being 
connected  with  its  black  colour.  We  were,  therefore, 
obliged  to  leave  it.  The  other,  a  spotted  one,  being 
slung  by  green  thongs  to  a  pole,  was  marched  off  with 
by  two  young  natives. 

With  our  bearers  of  burdens  ahead,  we  then  com- 
menced our  return  down  the  valley.  Half-way  home, 
darkness  overtook  us  in  the  woods  ;  and  torches  became 
necessary.  We  stopped,  and  made  them  of  dry  palm 
branches ;  and  then,  sending  two  lads  on  in  advance, 
for  the  purpose  of  gathering  fuel  to  feed  the  flambeaux, 
we  continued  our  journey. 

It  was  a  wild  sight.  The  torches,  waved  aloft,  flashed 
through  the  forest ;  and,  where  the  ground  admitted, 
the  islanders  went  along  on  a  brisk  trot,  notwithstand- 
ing they  bent  forward  under  their  loads.  Their  naked 
backs  were  stained  with  blood ;  and  occasionally,  run- 
ning by  each  other,  they  raised  wild  cries,  which  startled 
the  hillsides. 


THE  HUNTING-FEAST.  257 

CHAPTER   LVIII. 

THE  HUNTING-FEAST  ;  AND  A  VISIT  TO  AEEEHITOO. 

Two  bullocks  and  a  boar !  No  bad  trophies  of  our 
day's  sport.  So  by  torchlight  we  marched  into  the  plan- 
tation, the  wild  hog  rocking  from  its  pole,  and  the  doc- 
tor singing  an  old  hunting-song  —  Tally-ho  !  the  chorus 
of  which  swelled  high  above  the  yells  of  the  natives. 

We  resolved  to  make  a  night  of  it.  Kindling  a  great 
fire  just  outside  the  dwelling,  and  hanging  one  of  the 
heifer's  quarters  from  a  limb  of  the  banian-tree,  every 
one  was  at  liberty  to  cut  and  broil  for  himself.  Baskets 
of  roasted  bread-fruit,  and  plenty  of  taro  pudding; 
bunches  of  bananas  and  young  cocoa-nuts  had  also  been 
provided  by  the  natives  against  our  return. 

The  fire  burned  bravely,  keeping  off  the  mosquitoes, 
and  making  every  man's  face  glow  like  a  beaker  of 
port.  The  meat  had  the  true  wild-game  flavour,  not  at 
all  impaired  by  our  famous  appetites,  and  a  couple  of 
flasks  of  white  brandy,  which  Zeke,  producing  from  his 
secret  store,  circulated  freely. 

There  was  no  end  to  my  long  comrade's  spirits. 
After  telling  his  stories,  and  singing  his  songs,  he 
sprang  to  his  feet,  clasped  a  young  damsel  of  the  grove 
round  the  waist,  and  waltzed  over  the  grass  with  her. 
But  there's  no  telling  all  the  pranks  he  played  that 
night.  The  natives,  who  delight  in  a  wag,  emphatically 
pronounced  him  "  maitai." 

It  was  long  after  midnight  ere  we  broke  up  ;  but 
when  the  rest  had  retired,  Zeke,  with  the  true  thrift  of 
a  Yankee,  salted  down  what  was  left  of  the  meat. 


258  omoo. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday ;  and,  at  my  request, 
Shorty  accompanied  me  to  Afrehitoo  —  a  neighbouring 
bay,  and  the  seat  of  a  mission,  almost  directly  opposite 
Papeetee.  In  Afrehitoo  is  a  large  church  and  school- 
house,  both  quite  dilapidated  ;  and  planted  amid  shrub- 
bery on  a  fine  knoll,  stands  a  very  tasteful  cottage,  com- 
manding a  view  across  the  channel.  In  passing,  I 
caught  sight  of  a  graceful  calico  skirt  disappearing  from 
the  piazza  through  a  doorway.  The  place  was  the  resi- 
dence of  the  missionary. 

A  trim  little  sail-boat  was  dancing  out  at  her  moor- 
ings, a  few  yards  from  the  beach. 

Straggling  over  the  low  lands  in  the  vicinity  were 
several  native  huts  —  untidy  enough  —  but  much  better 
every  way  than  most  of  those  in  Tahiti. 

We  attended  service  at  the  church,  where  we  found 
but  a  small  congregation ;  and  after  what  I  had  seen  in 
Papeetee,  nothing  very  interesting  took  place.  But  the 
audience  had  a  curious,  fidgety  look,  which  I  knew  not 
how  to  account  for,  until  we  ascertained  that  a  sermon 
with  the  eighth  commandment  for  a  text  was  being 
preached. 

It  seemed  that  there  lived  an  Englishman  in  the  dis- 
trict, who,  like  our  friends,  the  planters,  was  cultivating 
Tombez  potatoes  for  the  Papeetee  market. 

In  spite  of  all  his  precautions,  the  natives  were  in  the 
habit  of  making  nocturnal  forays  into  his  enclosure,  and 
carrying  off  the  potatoes.  One  night  he  fired  a  fowl- 
ing-piece, charged  with  pepper  and  salt,  at  several 
shadows  which  he  discovered  stealing  across  his  prem- 
ises. They  fled.  But  it  was  like  seasoning  anything 
else :  the  knaves  stole  again  with  a  greater  relish  than 
ever ;  and  the  very  next  night,  he  caught  a  party  in  the 


THE  HUNTING-FEAST.  259 

act  of  roasting  a  basketful  of  potatoes  under  his  own 
cooking-shed.  At  last,  he  stated  his  grievances  to  the 
missionary ;  who,  for  the  benefit  of  his  congregation, 
preached  the  sermon  we  heard. 

Now,  there  were  no  thieves  in  Martair;  but  then  the 
people  of  the  valley  were  bribed  to  be  honest.  It  was 
a  regular  business  transaction  between  them  and  the 
planters.  In  consideration  of  so  many  potatoes  "  to 
them  in  hand,  duly  paid,"  they  were  to  abstain  from  all 
depredations  upon  the  plantation.  Another  security 
against  roguery  was  the  permanent  residence  upon  the 
premises  of  their  chief,  Tonoi. 

On  our  return  to  Martair,  in  the  afternoon,  we  found 
the  doctor  and  Zeke  making  themselves  comfortable. 
The  latter  was  reclining  on  the  ground,  pipe  in  mouth, 
watching  the  doctor,  who,  sitting  like  a  Turk,  before  a 
large  iron  kettle,  was  slicing  potatoes  and  Indian  tur- 
nip, and  now  and  then  shattering  splinters  from  a  bone  ; 
all  of  which,  by  turns,  were  thrown  into  the  pot.  He 
was  making  what  he  called  "  bullock  broth." 

In  gastronomic  affairs,  my  friend  was  something  of 
an  artist ;  and,  by  way  of  improving  his  knowledge,  did 
nothing  the  rest  of  the  day  but  practise  in  what  might 
be  called  Experimental  Cookery;  broiling  and  grill- 
ing, and  devilling  slices  of  meat,  and  subjecting  them 
to  all  sorts  of  igneous  operations.  It  was  the  first 
fresh  beef  that  either  of  us  had  tasted  in  more  than  a 
year. 

"  Oh,  ye'll  pick  up  arter  a  while,  Peter,"  observed 
Zeke,  toward  night,  as  Long  Ghost  was  turning  a  great 
rib  over  the  coals  —  "  what  d'ye  think,  Paul  ?  " 

"  He'll  get  along,  I  dare  say,"  replied  I;  "he  only 
wants  to  get  those  cheeks  of  his  tanned."     To  tell  the 


260  omoo. 

truth,  I  was  not  a  little  pleased  to  see  the  doctor's 
reputation  as  an  invalid  fading  away  so  fast ;  especially, 
as  on  the  strength  of  his  being  one,  he  had  promised  to 
have  such  easy  times  of  it,  and  very  likely,  too,  at  my 
expense. 


CHAPTER  LIX. 

THE  MURPHIES. 

Dozing  in  our  canoe  the  next  morning  about  day- 
break, we  were  wakened  by  Zeke's  hailing  us  loudly 
from  the  beach. 

Upon  paddling  up,  he  told  us  that  a  canoe  had  arrived 
overnight,  from  Papeetee,  with  an  order  from  a  ship 
lying  there,  for  a  supply  of  his  potatoes ;  and  as  they 
must  be  on  board  the  vessel  by  noon,  he  wanted  us  to 
assist  in  bringing  them  down  to  his  sail-boat. 

My  long  comrade  was  one  of  those,  who,  from  always 
thrusting  forth  the  wrong  foot  foremost  when  they  rise, 
or  committing  some  other  indiscretion  of  the  limbs,  are 
more  or  less  crabbed  or  sullen  before  breakfast.  It  was 
in  vain,  therefore,  that  the  Yankee  deplored  the  urgency 
of  the  case,  which  obliged  him  to  call  us  up  thus  early : 
—  the  doctor  only  looked  the  more  glum,  and  said 
nothing  in  reply. 

At  last,  by  way  of  getting  up  a  little  enthusiasm  for 
the  occasion,  the  Yankee  exclaimed  quite  spiritedly, 
"  What  d'ye  say,  then,  b'ys,  shall  we  git  at  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  in  the  devil's  name  !  "  replied  the  doctor,  like 
a  snapping  turtle  ;  and  we  moved  on  to  the  house. 
Notwithstanding  his   ungracious   answer,   he   probably 


THE  MURPHIES.  261 

thought  that  after  the  gastronomic  performance  of  the 
day  previous,  it  would  hardly  do  to  hang  back.  At  the 
house,  we  found  Shorty  ready  with  the  hoes  ;  and  we  at 
once  repaired  to  the  farther  side  of  the  enclosure,  where 
the  potatoes  had  yet  to  be  taken  out  of  the  ground. 

The  rich,  tawny  soil  seemed  specially  adapted  to  the 
crop  ;  the  great  yellow  murphies  rolling  out  of  the  hills 
like  eggs  from  a  nest. 

My  comrade  really  surprised  me  by  the  zeal  with 
which  he  applied  himself  to  his  hoe.  For  my  own  part, 
exhilarated  by  the  cool  breath  of  the  morning,  I  worked 
away  like  a  good  fellow.  As  for  Zeke  and  the  Cockney, 
they  seemed  mightily  pleased  at  this  evidence  of  our 
willingness  to  exert  ourselves. 

It  was  not  long  ere  all  the  potatoes  were  turned  out ; 
and  then  came  the  worst  of  it :  they  were  to  be  lugged 
down  to  the  beach,  a  distance  of  at  least  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  And  there  being  no  such  thing  as  a  barrow  or 
cart  on  the  island,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  spinal 
marrows  and  broad  shoulders.  Well  knowing  that  this 
part  of  the  business  would  be  anything  but  agreeable, 
Zeke  did  his  best  to  put  as  encouraging  a  face  upon  it  as 
possible ;  and  giving  us  no  time  to  indulge  in  desponding 
thoughts,  gleefully  directed  our  attention  to  a  pile  of 
rude  baskets  —  made  of  stout  stalks  —  which  had  been 
provided  for  the  occasion.  So,  without  more  ado,  we 
helped  ourselves  from  the  heap  ;  and  soon  we  were  all 
four  staggering  along  under  our  loads. 

The  first  trip  down,  we  arrived  at  the  beach  together, 
Zeke's  enthusiastic  cries  proving  irresistible.  A  trip  or 
two  more,  however,  and  my  shoulders  began  to  grate  in 
their  sockets  ;  while  the  doctor's  tall  figure  acquired  an 
obvious  stoop.  Presently,  we  both  threw  down  our 
baskets,  protesting  we  could  stand  it  no  longer.     But 


262  omoo. 

our  employers,  bent,  as  it  were,  upon  getting  the  work 
out  of  us  by  a  silent  appeal  to  our  moral  sense,  toiled 
away  without  pretending  to  notice  us.  It  was  as  much 
as  to  say,  "  There,  men,  we've  been  boarding  and  lodging 
ye  for  the  last  three  days  ;  and  yesterday  ye  did  nothing 
earthly  but  eat ;  so  stand  by  now,  and  look  at  us  work- 
ing, if  ye  dare."  Thus  driven  to  it,  then,  we  resumed 
our  employment.  Yet,  in  spite  of  all  we  could  do, 
we  lagged  behind  Zeke  and  Shorty,  who,  breathing 
hard,  and  perspiring  at  every  pore,  toiled  away  without 
pause  or  cessation.  I  almost  wickedly  wished  that 
they  would  load  themselves  down  with  one  potato  too 
many. 

Gasping  as  I  was  with  my  own  hamper,  I  could  not, 
for  the  life  of  me,  help  laughing  at  Long  Ghost.  There 
he  went  —  his  long  neck  thrust  forward,  his  arms 
twisted  behind  him  to  form  a  shelf  for  his  basket  to 
rest  on  ;  and  his  stilts  of  legs  every  once  in  a  while 
giving  way  under  him,  as  if  his  knee-joints  slipped 
either  way. 

"  There  !  I  carry  no  more  !  "  he  exclaimed  all  at  once, 
flinging  his  potatoes  into  the  boat,  where  the  Yankee 
was  just  then  stowing  them  away. 

"  Oh,  then,"  said  Zeke,  quite  briskly,  "  I  guess  you 
and  Paul  had  better  try  the  '  barrel-machine  '  —  come 
along,  I'll  fix  ye  out  in  no  time ; "  and,  so  saying,  he 
waded  ashore,  and  hurried  back  to  the  house,  bidding  us 
follow. 

Wondering  what  upon  earth  the  "  barrel-machine " 
could  be,  and  rather  suspicious  of  it,  we  limped  after. 
On  arriving  at  the  house,  we  found  him  getting  ready  a 
sort  of  sedan-chair.  It  was  nothing  more  than  an  old 
barrel,  suspended  by  a  rope  from  the  middle  of  a  stout 
oar.     Quite  an  ingenious  contrivance  of  the  Yankee's ; 


THE  MURPHIES.  263 

and  his  proposed  arrangement  with  regard  to  mine  and 
the  doctor's  shoulders,  was  equally  so. 

"  There  now  !  "  said  he,  when  everything  was  ready, 
"  there's  no  back-breaking  about  this  ;  you  can  stand 
right  up  under  it,  you  see  :  jist  try  it  once  ;  "  and  he 
politely  rested  the  blade  of  the  oar  on  my  comrade's 
right  shoulder,  and  the  other  end  on  mine,  leaving  the 
barrel  between  us. 

"  Jist  the  thing  !  "  he  added,  standing  off  admiringly, 
while  we  remained  in  this  interesting  attitude. 

There  was  no  help  for  us ;  with  broken  hearts  and 
backs  we  trudged  back  to  the  field ;  the  doctor  all  the 
while  saying  masses. 

Upon  starting  with  the  loaded  barrel,  for  a  few  paces 
we  got  along  pretty  well,  and  were  constrained  to  think 
the  idea  not  a  bad  one.  But  we  did  not  long  think  so. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  we  came  to  a  dead  halt,  the 
springing  and  buckling  of  the  clumsy  oar  being  almost 
unendurable. 

"  Let's  shift  ends,"  cried  the  doctor,  who  did  not  quite 
relish  the  blade  of  the  stick,  which  was  cutting  into  the 
blade  of  his  shoulder. 

A  last,  by  stages  short  and  frequent,  we  managed  to 
shamble  down  to  the  beach,  where  we  again  dumped 
our  cargo,  in  something  of  a  pet. 

"  Why  not  make  the  natives  help  ? "  asked  Long 
Ghost,  rubbing  his  shoulder. 

"  Natives  be  dumned  !  "  said  the  Yankee,  "  twenty  on 
'em  ain't  worth  one  white  man.  They  never  was  meant 
to  work  any,  them  chaps  ;  and  they  knows  it  too,  for 
dumned  little  work  any  on  'em  ever  does." 

But  notwithstanding  this  abuse,  Zeke  was  at  last 
obliged  to  press  a  few  of  the  bipeds  into  service. 
"  Aramai !  "  (come  here)  he  shouted  to  several,  who, 


264  omoo. 

reclining  on  a  bank,  had  hitherto  been  critical  observers 
of  our  proceedings  ;  and,  among  other  things,  had  been 
particularly  amused  by  the  performance  with  the  sedan- 
chair. 

After  making  these  fellows  load  their  baskets  to- 
gether, the  Yankee  filled  his  own,  and  then  drove  them 
before  him,  down  to  the  beach.  Probably  he  had  seen 
the  herds  of  panniered  mules,  driven  in  this  way  by 
mounted  Indians,  along  the  great  road  from  Callao  to 
Lima. 

The  boat  at  last  loaded,  the  Yankee  taking  with  him 
a  couple  of  natives,  at  once  hoisted  sail,  and  stood  across 
the  channel  for  Papeetee. 

The  next  morning  at  breakfast,  old  Tonoi  ran  in,  and 
told  us  that  the  voyagers  were  returning.  We  hurried 
down  to  the  beach,  and  saw  the  boat  gliding  toward  us, 
with  a  dozing  islander  at  the  helm,  and  Zeke  standing 
up  in  the  bows,  jingling  a  small  bag  of  silver,  the 
proceeds  of  his  cargo. 


CHAPTER   LX. 

WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT   OF   US   IN   MARTAIR. 

Several  quiet  days  now  passed  away,  during  which 
we  just  worked  sufficiently  to  sharpen  our  appetites ;  the 
planters  leniently  exempting  us  from  any  severe  toil. 

Their  desire  to  retain  us  became  more  and  more  evi- 
dent ;  which  was  not  to  be  wondered  at ;  for,  beside 
esteeming  us  from  the  beginning  a  couple  of  civil,  good- 
natured  fellows,  who  would  soon  become  quite  at  home 


WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT  OF  US  IN  MART  AIR.  265 

with  them,  they  were  not  slow  in  perceiving  that  we 
were  far  different  from  the  common  run  of  rovers  ;  and 
that  our  society  was  both  entertaining  and  instructive  to 
a  couple  of  solitary,  illiterate  men,  like  themselves. 

In  a  literary  point  of  view,  indeed,  they  soon  regarded 
us  with  emotions  of  envy  and  wonder  ;  and  the  doctor 
was  considered  nothing  short  of  a  prodigy.  The  Cock- 
ney found  out,  that  he  (the  doctor)  could  read  a  book 
upside  down,  without  even  so  much  as  spelling  the  big 
words  beforehand  ;  and  the  Yankee,  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye,  received  from  him  the  sum  total  of  several  arith- 
metical items,  stated  aloud,  with  the  view  of  testing  the 
extent  of  his  mathematical  lore. 

Then,  frequently,  in  discoursing  upon  men  and  things, 
my  long  comrade  employed  such  imposing  phrases,  that, 
upon  one  occasion,  they  actually  remained  uncovered 
while  he  talked. 

In  short,  their  favourable  opinion  of  Long  Ghost  in 
particular,  rose  higher  and  higher  every  day ;  and  they 
began  to  indulge  in  all  manner  of  dreams  concerning  the 
advantages  to  be  derived  from  employing  so  learned  a 
labourer.  Among  other  projects  revealed,  was  that  of 
building  a  small  craft  of  some  forty  tons,  for  the  purpose 
of  trading  among  the  neighbouring  islands.  With  a  na- 
tive crew,  we  would  then  take  turns  cruising  over  the 
tranquil  Pacific ;  touching  here  and  there,  as  caprice  sug- 
gested, and  collecting  romantic  articles  of  commerce  ;  — 
biche-de-mer,  the  pearl-oyster,  arrow-root,  ambergris, 
sandal-wood,  cocoa-nut  oil,  and  edible  birds'  nests. 

This  South  Sea  yachting  was  delightful  to  think  of ; 
and  straightway  the  doctor  announced  his  willingness  to 
navigate  the  future  schooner  clear  of  all  shoals  and  reefs 
whatsoever.  His  impudence  was  audacious.  He  en- 
larged upon  the  science  of  navigation  ;  treated  us  to  a 


266  omoo. 

dissertation  on  Mercator's  Sailing,  and  the  Azimuth  com- 
pass ;  and  went  into  an  inexplicable  explanation  of  the 
Lord  only  knows  what  plan  of  his,  for  infallibly  settling 
the  longitude. 

Whenever  my  comrade  thus  gave  the  reins  to  his  fine 
fancy,  it  was  a  treat  to  listen,  and  therefore  I  never  in- 
terfered ;  but,  with  the  planters,  sat  in  mute  admiration 
before  him.  This  apparent  self-abasement  on  my  part 
must  have  been  considered  as  truly  indicative  of  our  re- 
spective merits  ;  for,  to  my  no  small  concern,  I  quickly 
perceived,  that  in  the  estimate  formed  of  us,  Long  Ghost 
began  to  be  rated  far  above  myself.  For  aught  I  knew, 
indeed,  he  might  have  privately  thrown  out  a  hint  con- 
cerning the  difference  in  our  respective  stations  aboard 
the  Julia ;  or  else,  the  planters  must  have  considered 
him  some  illustrious  individual,  for  certain  inscrutable 
reasons  going  incog.  With  this  idea  of  him,  his  undis- 
guised disinclination  for  work  became  venial ;  and  en- 
tertaining such  views  of  extending  their  business,  they 
counted  more  upon  his  ultimate  value  to  them  as  a  man 
of  science  than  as  a  mere  ditcher. 

Nor  did  the  humourous  doctor  forbear  to  foster  an 
opinion  every  way  so  advantageous  to  himself ;  at  times 
for  the  sake  of  the  joke,  assuming  airs  of  superiority  over 
myself,  which,  though  laughable  enough,  were  sometimes 
annoying. 

To  tell  the  plain  truth,  things  at  last  came  to  such  a 
pass,  that  I  told  him,  up  and  down,  that  I  had  no  notion 
to  put  up  with  his  pretensions ;  if  he  were  going  to  play 
the  gentleman,  I  was  going  to  follow  suit;  and  then 
there  would  quickly  be  an  explosion. 

At  this  he  laughed  heartily  ;  and  after  some  mirthful 
chat,  we  resolved  upon  leaving  the  valley,  as  soon  as  we 
could  do  so  with  a  proper  regard  to  politeness. 


/ 


WHAT  THEY  THOUGHT  OF  US  IN  MARTAIR.  267 

At  supper,  therefore,  the  same  evening,  the  doctor 
hinted  at  our  intention. 

Though  much  surprised  and  vexed,  Zeke  moved  not 
a  muscle.  "Peter,"  said  he  at  last  —  very  gravely  — 
and  after  mature  deliberation,"  would  you  like  to  do  the 
cooking  t  It's  easy  work  ;  and  you  needn't  do  anything 
else.  Paul's  heartier ;  he  can  work  in  the  field  when  it 
suits  him ;  and  before  long,  we'll  have  ye  at  something 
more  agreeable  :  —  won't  we,  Shorty  ?  " 

Shorty  assented. 

Doubtless,  the  proposed  arrangement  was  a  snug  one  ; 
especially  the  sinecure  for  the  doctor  ;  but  I  by  no  means 
relished  the  functions  allotted  to  myself  —  they  were  too 
indefinite.  Nothing  final,  however,  was  agreed  upon ; 
—  our  intention  to  leave  was  revealed,  and  that  was 
enough  for  the  present.  But,  as  we  said  nothing  further 
about  going,  the  Yankee  must  have  concluded  that  we 
might  yet  be  induced  to  remain.  He  redoubled  his 
endeavours  to  make  us  contented. 

It  was  during  this  state  of  affairs,  that  one  morning, 
before  breakfast,  we  were  set  to  weeding  in  a  potato- 
patch  ;  and  the  planters  being  engaged  at  the  house,  we 
were  left  to  ourselves. 

Now,  though  the  pulling  of  weeds  was  considered  by 
our  employers  an  easy  occupation  (for  which  reason, 
they  had  assigned  it  to  us),  and  although,  as  a  garden 
recreation,  it  may  be  pleasant  enough  for  those  who  like 
it  —  still,  long  persisted  in,  the  business  becomes  exces- 
sively irksome. 

Nevertheless,  we  toiled  away  for  some  time,  until  the 
doctor,  who,  from  his  height,  was  obliged  to  stoop  at  a 
very  acute  angle,  suddenly  sprang  upright ;  and,  with 
one  hand  propping  his  spinal  column,  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
that  one's  joints  were  but  provided  with  holes  to  drop 
a  little  oil  through !  " 


268  omoo. 

Vain  as  the  aspiration  was  for  this  proposed  improve- 
ment upon  our  species,  I  cordially  responded  thereto ; 
for  every  vertebra  in  my  spine  was  articulating  its 
sympathy. 

Presently,  the  sun  rose  over  the  mountains,  inducing 
that  deadly  morning  languour  so  fatal  to  early  exertion 
in  a  warm  climate.  We  could  stand  it  no  longer ;  but, 
shouldering  our  hoes,  moved  on  to  the  house,  resolved 
to  impose  no  more  upon  the  good-nature  of  the  planters, 
by  continuing  one  moment  longer  in  an  occupation  so 
extremely  uncongenial. 

We  freely  told  them  so.  Zeke  was  exceedingly  hurt, 
and  said  everything  he  could  think  of  to  alter  our 
determination ;  but,  finding  all  unavailing,  he  very 
hospitably  urged  us  not  to  be  in  any  hurry  about  leav- 
ing ;  for  we  might  stay  with  him  as  guests  until  we  had 
time  to  decide  upon  our  future  movements. 

We  thanked  him  sincerely ;  but  replied,  that  the 
following  morning  we  must  turn  our  backs  upon  the 
hills  of  Martair. 


CHAPTER  LXI. 

PREPARING  FOR  THE  JOURNEY. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  we  loitered  about, 
talking  over  our  plans. 

The  doctor  was  all  eagerness  to  visit  Tamai,  a  solitary 
inland  village,  standing  upon  the  banks  of  a  consider- 
able lake  of  the  same  name,  and  embosomed  among 
groves.  From  Afrehitoo  you  went  to  this  place  by  a 
lonely  pathway,  leading   through   the  wildest  scenery 


PliEPARING  FOB   THE  JOURNEY.  269 

in  the  world.  Much,  too,  we  had  heard  concerning  the 
lake  itself,  which  abounded  in  such  delicious  fish,  that, 
in  former  times,  angling  parties  occasionally  came  over  to 
it  from  Papeetee. 

Upon  its  banks,  moreover,  grew  the  finest  fruit  of  the 
islands,  and  in  their  greatest  perfection.  The  "  Ve,"  or 
Brazilian  plum,  here  attained  the  size  of  an  orange ;  and 
the  gorgeous  "Arheea,"  or  red  apple  of  Tahiti,  blushed 
with  deeper  dyes  than  in  any  of  the  seaward  valleys. 

Beside  all  this,  in  Tamai  dwelt  the  most  beautiful  and 
unsophisticated  women  in  the  entire  Society  group.  In 
short,  the  village  was  so  remote  from  the  coast,  and  had 
been  so  much  less  affected  by  recent  changes  than  other 
places,  that,  in  most  things,  Tahitian  life  was  here  seen 
as  formerly  existing  in  the  days  of  young  Otoo,  the  boy- 
king,  in  Cook's  time. 

After  obtaining  from  the  planters  all  the  information 
which  was  needed,  we  decided  upon  penetrating  to  the 
village ;  and  after  a  temporary  sojourn  there,  to  strike 
the  beach  again,  and  journey  round  to  Taloo,  a  harbour 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  island. 

We  at  once  put  ourselves  in  travelling  trim.  Just 
previous  to  leaving  Tahiti,  having  found  my  wardrobe 
reduced  to  two  suits  (frock  and  trousers,  both  much  the 
worse  for  wear),  I  had  quilted  them  together  for  mutual 
preservation  (after  a  fashion  peculiar  to  sailors)  ;  en- 
grafting a  red  frock  upon  a  blue  one,  and  producing 
thereby  a  choice  variety  in  the  way  of  clothing.  This 
was  the  extent  of  my  wardrobe.  Nor  was  the  doctor  by 
any  means  better  off.  His  improvidence  had  at  last 
driven  him  to  don  the  nautical  garb ;  but,  by  this  time, 
his  frock  —  a  light  cotton  one  —  had  almost  given  out, 
and  he  had  nothing  to  replace  it.  Shorty  very  generously 
offered  him  one  which  was  a  little  less  lagged  ;  but  the 


270  omoo. 

alms  was  proudly  refused ;  Long  Ghost  preferring  to  as- 
sume the  ancient  costume  of  Tahiti  —  the  "  Roora." 

This  garment,  once  worn  as  a  festival  dress,  is  now 
seldom  met  with  ;  but  Captain  Bob  had  often  shown  us 
one  which  he  kept  as  an  heirloom.  It  was  a  cloak,  or 
mantle  of  yellow  tappa,  precisely  similar  to  the  "poncho" 
worn  by  the  South  American  Spaniards.  The  head  be- 
ing slipped  through  a  slit  in  the  middle,  the  robe  hangs 
about  the  person  in  ample  drapery.  Tonoi  obtained  suf- 
ficient coarse  brown  tappa  to  make  a  short  mantle  of 
this  description  ;  and  in  five  minutes  the  doctor  was 
equipped.  Zeke,  eying  his  toga  critically,  reminded  its 
proprietor  that  there  were  many  streams  to  ford,  and  pre- 
cipices to  scale,  between  Martair  and  Tamai ;  and  if  he 
travelled  in  petticoats,  he  had  better  hold  them  up. 

Besides  other  deficiencies,  we  were  utterly  shoeless. 
In  the  free-and-easy  Pacific,  sailors  seldom  wear  shoes ; 
mine  had  been  tossed  overboard  the  day  we  met  the 
Trades  ;  and  except  in  one  or  two  tramps  ashore,  I  had 
never  worn  any  since.  In  Martair,  they  would  have  been 
desirable  ;  but  none  were  to  be  had.  For  the  expedition 
we  meditated,  however,  they  were  indispensable.  Zeke, 
being  the  owner  of  a  pair  of  huge,  dilapidated  boots, 
hanging  from  a  rafter-like  saddle-bag,  the  doctor  suc- 
ceeded in  exchanging  for  them  a  case-knife,  the  last  val- 
uable article  in  his  possession.  For  myself,  I  made 
sandals  from  a  bullock's  hide,  such  as  are  worn  by  the 
Indians  in  California.  They  are  made  in  a  minute  ;  the 
sole,  rudely  fashioned  to  the  foot,  being  confined  across 
the  instep  by  three  straps  of  leather. 

Our  headgear  deserves  a  passing  word.  My  comrade's 
was  a  brave  old  Panama  hat,  made  of  grass,  almost  as 
fine  as  threads  of  silk ;  and  so  elastic,  that,  upon  rolling 
it  up,  it  sprang  into  perfect  shape  again,     Set  off  by  the 


PREPARING  FOR   THE  JOURNEY.  271 

jaunty  slouch  of  this  Spanish  sombrero,  Doctor  Long 
Ghost,  in  this  and  his  Koora,  looked  like  a  mendicant 
grandee. 

Nor  was  my  own  appearance  in  an  Eastern  turban  less 
distinguished.  The  way  I  came  to  wear  it  was  this. 
My  hat  having  been  knocked  overboard,  a  few  days  be- 
fore reaching  Papeetee,  I  was  obliged  to  mount  an 
abominable  wad  of  parti-coloured  worsted  —  what  sailors 
call  a  Scotch  cap.  Every  one  knows  the  elasticity  of 
knit  wool;  and  this  Caledonian  head-dress  crowned  my 
temples  so  effectually,  that  the  confined  atmosphere  en- 
gendered was  prejudicial  to  my  curls.  In  vain  I  tried 
to  ventilate  the  cap:  every  gash  made  seemed  to  heal 
whole  in  no  time.  Then  such  a  continual  chafing  as  it 
kept  up  in  a  hot  sun. 

Seeing  my  dislike  to  the  thing,  Kooloo,  my  worthy 
friend,  prevailed  upon  me  to  bestow  it  upon  him.  I  did 
so ;  hinting  that  a  good  boiling  might  restore  the  origi- 
nal brilliancy  of  the  colours. 

It  was  then  that  I  mounted  the  turban.  Taking  a 
new  Regatta  frock  of  the  doctor's,  which  was  of  a  gay 
calico,  and  winding  it  round  my  head  in  folds,  I  allowed 
the  sleeves  to  droop  behind  —  thus  forming  a  good  de- 
fence against  the  sun,  though  in  a  shower  it  was  best 
off.  The  pendent  sleeves  adding  much  to  the  effect,  the 
doctor  always  called  me  the  Bashaw  with  Two  Tails. 

Thus  arrayed,  we  were  ready  for  Tamai  ;  in  whose 
green  saloons,  we  counted  upon  creating  no  small  sen- 
sation. 


272  omoo. 


CHAPTER  LXIL 

TAMAI. 

Long  before  sunrise  the  next  morning,  my  sandals 
were  laced  on,  and  the  doctor  had  vaulted  into  Zeke's 
boots. 

Expecting  to  see  us  again  before  we  went  to  Taloo, 
the  planters  wished  us  a  pleasant  journey ;  and  on  part- 
ing, very  generously  presented  us  with  a  pound  or  two 
of  what  sailors  call  "plug"  tobacco;  telling  us  to  cut 
it  up  into  small  change ;  the  Virginian  weed  being  the 
principal  circulating  medium  on  the  island. 

Tamai,  we  were  told,  was  not  more  than  three  or  four 
leagues  distant ;  so  making  allowances  for  a  wild  road, 
a  few  hours  to  rest  at  noon,  and  our  determination  to 
take  the  journey  leisurely,  we  counted  upon  reaching 
the  shores  of  the  lake  some  time  in  the  flush  of  the 
evening. 

For  several  hours  we  went  on  slowly  through  wood 
and  ravine,  and  over  hill  and  precipice,  seeing  nothing 
but  occasional  herds  of  wild  cattle,  and  often  resting ; 
until  we  found  ourselves,  about  noon,  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  island. 

It  was  a  green,  cool  hollow  among  the  mountains, 
into  which  we  at  last  descended  with  a  bound.  The 
place  was  gushing  with  a  hundred  springs,  and  shaded 
over  with  great  solemn  trees,  on  whose  mossy  boles  the 
moisture  stood  in  beads.  Strange  to  say,  no  traces  of  the 
bullocks  ever  having  been  here  were  revealed.  Nor  was 
there  a  sound  to  be  heard,  nor  a  bird  to  be  seen,  nor  any 
breath  of  wind  stirring  the  leaves.     The  utter  solitude 


TAMAL  273 

and  silence  were  oppressive;  and  after  peering  about 
under  the  shades,  and  seeing  nothing  but  ranks  of 
dark,  motionless  trunks,  we  hurried  across  the  hollow, 
and  ascended  a  steep  mountain  opposite. 

Midway  up  we  rested  where  the  earth  had  gathered 
about  the  roots  of  three  palms,  and  thus  formed  a  pleas- 
ant lounge,  from  which  we  looked  down  upon  the 
hollow,  now  one  dark-green  tuft  of  woodland  at  our 
feet.  Here  we  brought  forth  a  small  calabash  of  "poee" 
a  parting  present  from  Tonoi.  After  eating  heartily, 
we  obtained  fire  by  two  sticks,  and  throwing  ourselves 
back,  puffed  forth  our  fatigue  in  wreaths  of  smoke.  At 
last  we  fell  asleep  ;  nor  did  we  waken  till  the  sun  had 
sunk  so  low,  that  its  rays  darted  in  upon  us  under  the 
foliage. 

Starting  up,  we  then  continued  our  journey ;  and  as 
we  gained  the  mountain  top  — there,  to  our  surprise,  lay 
the  lake  and  village  of  Tamai.  We  had  thought  it  a 
good  league  off.  Where  we  stood,  the  yellow  sunset 
was  still  lingering;  but  over  the  valley  below,  long 
shadows  were  stealing  —  the  rippling  green  lake  reflect- 
ing the  houses  and  trees  just  as  they  stood  along  its 
banks.  Several  small  canoes,  moored  here  and  there  to 
posts  in  the  water,  were  dancing  upon  the  waves ; 
and  one  solitary  fisherman  was  -paddling  over  to 
a  grassy  point.  In  front  of  the  houses,  groups  of 
natives  were  seen ;  some  thrown  at  full  length  upon 
the  ground,  and  others  indolently  leaning  against  the 
bamboos. 

With  whoop  and  halloo,  we  ran  down  the  hills,  the 
villagers  soon  hurrying  forth  to  see  who  were  coming. 
As  we  drew  near,  they  gathered  round,  all  curiosity  to 
know  what  brought  the  "  karhowries  "  into  their  quiet 
country.     The  doctor  contriving  to  make  them  under- 


274  omoo. 

stand  the  purely  social  object  of  our  visit,  they  gave  us 
a  true  Tahitian  welcome ;  pointing  into  their  dwellings, 
and  saying  they  were  ours  as  long  as  we  chose  to  re- 
main. 

We  were  struck  by  the  appearance  of  these  people, 
both  men  and  women,  so  much  more  healthful  than 
the  inhabitants  of  the  bays.  As  for  the  young  girls, 
they  were  more  retiring  and  modest,  more  tidy  in  their 
dress,  and  far  fresher  and  more  beautiful  than  the 
damsels  of  the  coast.  A  thousand  pities,  thought  I, 
that  they  should  bury  their  charms  in  this  nook  of  a 
valley. 

That  night  we  abode  in  the  house  of  Rartoo,  a  hospit- 
able old  chief.  It  was  right  on  the  shore  of  the  lake ; 
and  at  supper,  we  looked  out  through  a  rustling  screen 
of  foliage  upon  the  surface  of  the  starlit  water. 

The  next  day  we  rambled  about,  and  found  a  happy  lit- 
tle community,  comparatively  free  from  many  deplorable 
evils  to  which  the  rest  of  their  countrymen  are  subject. 
Their  time,  too,  was  more  occupied.  To  my  sur- 
prise, the  manufacture  of  tappa  was  going  on  in  several 
buildings.  European  calicoes  were  seldom  seen, 
and  not  many  articles  of  foreign  origin  of  any  descrip- 
tion. 

The  people  of  Tamai  were  nominally  Christians;  but 
being  so  remote  from  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  their 
religion  sat  lightly  upon  them.  We  had  been  told,  even, 
that  many  heathenish  games  and  dances  still  secretly 
lingered  in  their  valley. 

Now  the  prospect  of  seeing  an  old-fashioned  "hevar," 
or  Tahitian  reel,  was  one  of  the  inducements  which 
brought  us  here  ;  and  so,  finding  Rartoo  rather  libera1  in 
his  religious  ideas,  we  disclosed  our  desire.  At  first,  he 
demurred;  and  shrugging  his  shoulders  like  a  French- 


A  DANCE  IN   THE   VALLEY.  275 

man,  declared  it  could  not  be  brought  about — was  a  dan- 
gerous matter  to  attempt,  and  might  bring  all  concerned 
into  trouble.  But  we  overcame  all  this,  convinced  him 
that  the  thing  could  be  done,  and  a  "  hevar,"  a  genuine 
pagan  fandango,  was  arranged  for  that  very  night. 


CHAPTER  LXIII. 

A  DANCE  IN  THE   VALLEY. 

There  were  some  ill-natured  people  —  tell-tales  — 
it  seemed,  in  Tamai ;  and  hence  there  was  a  deal  of 
mystery  about  getting  up  the  dance. 

An  hour  or  two  before  midnight,  Rartoo  entered  the 
house,  and,  throwing  robes  of  tappa  over  us,  bade  us 
follow  at  a  distance  behind  him ;  and,  until  out  of  the 
village,  hood  our  faces.  Keenly  alive  to  the  adventure, 
we  obeyed.  At  last,  after  taking  a  wide  circuit,  we 
came  out  upon  the  farthest  shore  of  the  lake.  It  was  a 
wide,  dewy  space  ;  lighted  up  by  a  full  moon,  and  car- 
peted with  a  minute  species  of  fern,  growing  closely 
together.  It  swept  right  down  to  the  water,  showing 
the  village  opposite,  glistening  among  the  groves. 

Near  the  trees,  on  one  side  of  the  clear  space,  was  a 
ruinous  pile  of  stones,  many  rods  in  extent ;  upon  which 
had  formerly  stood  a  temple  of  Oro.  At  present,  there 
was  nothing  but  a  rude  hut,  planted  on  the  lowermost 
terrace.  It  seemed  to  have  been  used  as  a  "tappa 
herree ;  "  or  house  for  making  the  native  cloth. 

Here  we  saw  lights  gleaming  from  between  the  bam- 
boos, and  casting  long,  rod-like  shadows  upon  the  ground 


276  omoo. 

without.  Voices  also  were  heard.  We  went  up,  and 
had  a  peep  at  the  dancers,  who  were  getting  ready  for 
the  ballet.  They  were  some  twenty  in  number ;  waited 
upon  by  hideous  old  crones,  who  might  have  been  du- 
ennas. Long  Ghost  proposed  to  send  the  latter  packing ; 
but  Rartoo  said  it  would  never  do,  and  so  they  were  per- 
mitted to  remain. 

We  tried  to  effect  an  entrance  at  the  door,  which  was 
fastened ;  but,  after  a  noisy  discussion  with  one  of  the 
old  witches  within,  our  guide  became  fidgety,  and,  at  last, 
told  us  to  desist,  or  we  would  spoil  all.  He  then  led  us 
off  to  a  distance,  to  await  the  performance  ;  as  the  girls, 
he  said,  did  not  wish  to  be  recognised.  He,  furthermore, 
made  us  promise  to  remain  where  we  were,  until  all  was 
over  and  the  dancers  had  retired. 

We  waited  impatiently ;  and  at  last  they  came  forth. 
They  were  arrayed  in  short  tunics  of  white  tappa ;  with 
garlands  of  flowers  on  their  heads.  Following  them 
were  the  duennas,  who  remained  clustering  about  the 
house,  while  the  girls  advanced  a  few  paces  ;  and,  in  an 
instant,  two  of  them,  taller  than  their  companions,  were 
standing  side  by  side,  in  the  middle  of  a  ring,  formed  by 
the  clasped  hands  of  the  rest.  This  movement  was  made 
in  perfect  silence. 

Presently,  the  two  girls  join  hands  over  head ;  and, 
crying  out,  "  Ahloo !  ahloo !  "  wave  them  to  and  fro. 
Upon  which,  the  ring  begins  to  circle  slowly ;  the  dan- 
cers moving  sideways,  with  their  arms  a  little  drooping. 
Soon  they  quicken  their  pace ;  and,  at  last,  fly  round 
and  round;  bosoms  heaving,  hair  streaming,  flowers 
dropping,  and  every  sparkling  eye  circling  in  what 
seemed  a  line  of  light. 

Meanwhile,  the  pair  within  are  passing  and  repassing 
each   other   incessantly.      Inclining   sideways,   so   that 


A  DANCE  IN  THE   VALLEY.  277 

their  long  hair  falls  far  over,  they  glide  this  way  and 
that ;  one  foot  continually  in  the  air,  and  their  fingers 
thrown  forth,  and  twirling  in  the  moonbeams. 

"  Ahloo  !  ahloo  !  "  again  cry  the  dance  queens  ;  and, 
coming  together  in  the  middle  of  the  ring,  they  once 
more  lift  up  the  arch,  and  stand  motionless. 

u  Ahloo  !  ahloo ! "  Every  link  of  the  circle  is  broken ; 
and  the  girls,  deeply  breathing,  stand  perfectly  still. 
They  pant  hard  and  fast,  a  moment  or  two  ;  and  then, 
just  as  the  deep  flush  is  dying  away  from  their  faces, 
slowly  recede,  all  round;  thus  enlarging  the  ring. 

Again  the  two  leaders  wave  their  hands,  when  the 
rest  pause  ;  and  now,  far  apart,  stand  in  the  still  moon- 
light, like  a  circle  of  fairies.  Presently,  raising  a  strange 
chant,  they  softly  sway  themselves,  gradually  quicken- 
ing the  movement,  until  at  length,  for  a  few  passionate 
moments,  with  throbbing  bosoms,  and  glowing  cheeks, 
they  abandon  themselves  to  all  the  spirit  of  the  dance, 
apparently  lost  to  everything  around.  But  soon  subsid- 
ing again  into  the  same  languid  measure  as  before,  they 
become  motionless  ;  and  then,  reeling  forward  on  all 
sides,  their  eyes  swimming  in  their  heads,  join  in  one 
wild  chorus,  and  sink  into  each  other's  arms. 

Such  is  the  Lory-Lory,  I  think  they  call  it ;  the  dance 
of  the  backsliding  girls  of  Tamai. 

While  it  was  going  on,  we  had  as  much  as  we  could 
do  to  keep  the  doctor  from  rushing  forward  and  seizing 
a  partner. 

They  would  give  us  no  more  "  hevars  "  that  night ; 
and  Rartoo  fairly  dragged  us  away  to  a  canoe,  hauled 
up  on  the  lake  shore  ;  when  we  reluctantly  embarked, 
and  paddling  over  to  the  village,  arrived  there  in  time 
for  a  good  nap  before  sunrise. 

The  next  day,  the  doctor  went  about,  trying  to  hunt 


278  omoo. 

up  the  overnight  dancers.  He  thought  to  detect  them 
by  their  late  rising  ;  but  never  was  man  more  mistaken ; 
for,  on  first  sallying  out,  the  whole  village  was  asleep, 
waking  up  in  concert  about  an  hour  after.  But,  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  he  came  across  several,  whom  he  at 
once  charged  with  taking  part  in  the  "  hevar."  There 
were  some  prim-looking  fellows  standing  by  (visiting 
elders  from  Airehitoo,  perhaps),  and  the  girls  looked 
embarrassed ;  but  parried  the  charge  most  skilfully. 

Though  soft  as  doves,  in  general,  the  ladies  of  Tamai 
are,  nevertheless,  flavoured  with  a  slight  tincture  of 
what  we  very  queerly  enough  call  the  "devil;"  and 
they  showed  it  on  the  present  occasion.  For  when  the 
doctor  pressed  one  rather  hard,  she  all  at  once  turned 
round  upon  him,  and,  giving  him  a  box  on  the  ear,  told 
him  to  "  hanree  perrar !  "  (be  off  with  himself). 


CHAPTER  LXIV. 

MYSTERIOUS. 

There  was  a  little  old  man,  of  a  most  hideous  aspect, 
living  in  Tamai,  who,  in  a  coarse  mantle  of  tappa,  went 
about  the  village,  dancing,  and  singing,  and  making 
faces.  He  followed  us  about,  wherever  we  went ;  and, 
when  unobserved  by  others,  plucked  at  our  garments, 
making  frightful  signs  for  us  to  go  along  with  him 
somewhere,  and  see  something. 

It  was  in  vain  that  we  tried  to  get  rid  of  him.  Kicks 
and  cuffs,  even,  were  at  last  resorted  to  ;  but,  though 
he  howled  like  one  possessed,  he  would  not  go  away, 
but  still  haunted  us.     At  last,  we  conjured  the  natives 


MYSTERIOUS.  279 

to  rid  us  of  him ;  but  they  only  laughed ;  so  we  were 
forced  to  endure  the  dispensation  as  well  as  we  could. 

On  the  fourth  night  of  our  visit,  returning  home  late 
from  paying  a  few  calls  through  the  village,  we  turned 
a  dark  corner  of  trees,  and  came  full  upon  our  goblin 
friend ;  as  usual,  chattering  and  motioning  with  his 
hands.  The  doctor,  venting  a  curse,  hurried  forward ; 
but,  from  some  impulse  or  other,  I  stood  my  ground, 
resolved  to  find  out  what  this  unaccountable  object 
wanted  of  us.  Seeing  me  pause,  he  crept  close  up  to 
me,  peered  into  my  face,  and  then  retreated,  beckoning 
me  to  follow,  which  I  did. 

In  a  few  moments  the  village  was  behind  us;  and 
with  my  guide  in  advance,  I  found  myself  in  the 
shadow  of  the  heights  overlooking  the  farther  side  of  the 
valley.  Here  my  guide  paused  until  I  came  up  with 
him ;  when,  side  by  side,  and  without  speaking,  we  as- 
cended the  hill. 

Presently  we  came  to  a  wretched  hut,  barely  distin- 
guishable in  the  shade  cast  by  the  neighbouring  trees. 
Pushing  aside  a  rude  sliding  door,  held  together  with 
thongs,  the  goblin  signed  me  to  enter.  Within,  it 
looked  as  dark  as  pitch ;  so  I  gave  him  to  understand 
that  he  must  strike  a  light,  and  go  in  before  me.  With- 
out replying,  he  disappeared  in  the  darkness  ;  and,  after 
groping  about,  I  heard  two  sticks  rubbing  together,  and 
directly  saw  a  spark.  A  native  taper  was  then  lighted, 
and  I  stooped  and  entered. 

It  was  a  mere  kennel.  Foul  old  mats,  and  broken 
cocoa-nut  shells,  and  calabashes  were  strewn  about  the 
floor  of  earth ;  and  overhead,  I  caught  glimpses  of  the 
stars  through  chinks  in  the  roof.  Here  and  there,  the 
thatch  had  fallen  through,  and  hung  down  in  wisps. 

I  now  told  him  to  set  about  what  he  was  going  to  do, 


280  omoo. 

or  produce  whatever  he  had  to  show,  without  delay. 
Looking  round  fearfully,  as  if  dreading  a  surprise,  he 
commenced  turning  over  and  over  the  rubbish  in  one 
corner.  At  last,  he  clutched  a  calabash,  stained  black, 
and  with  a  neck  broken  off ;  on  one  side  of  it  was  a 
large  hole.  Something  seemed  to  be  stuffed  away  in 
the  vessel ;  and  after  a  deal  of  poking  at  the  aperture, 
a  musty  old  pair  of  sailor  trousers  was  drawn  forth ; 
and,  holding  them  up  eagerly,  he  inquired  how  many 
pieces  of  tobacco  I  would  give  for  them  ? 

Without  replying,  I  hurried  away ;  the  old  man 
chasing  me,  and  shouting  as  I  ran,  until  I  gained  the 
village.  Here,  I  dodged  him,  and  made  my  way  home, 
resolved  never  to  disclose  so  inglorious  an  adventure. 

To  no  purpose,  the  next  morning,  my  comrade  be- 
sought me  to  enlighten  him :  I  preserved  a  mysterious 
silence. 

The  occurrence  served  me  a  good  turn,  however,  so 
long  as  we  abode  in  Tamai ;  for  the  old  clothesman 
never  afterward  troubled  me ;  but  forever  haunted  the 
doctor,  who,  in  vain,  supplicated  Heaven  to  be  delivered 
from  him. 


CHAPTER  LXV. 

THE   HEGIRA,    OR    FLIGHT. 

"  I  say,  doctor,"  cried  I,  a  few  days  after  my  adven- 
ture with  the  goblin,  as,  in  the  absence  of  our  host,  we 
were  one  morning  lounging  upon  the  matting  in  his 
dwelling,  smoking  our  reed  pipes,  "  Tamai's  a  thriving 
place  ;  why  not  settle  down  ?  " 


THE  HEGIRA,  OR  FLIGHT.  281 

"Faith!"  said  he,  "not  a  bad  idea,  Paul.  But  do 
you  fancy  they'll  let  us  stay,  though  ?  " 

"  Why,  certainly  :  they  would  be  overjoyed  to  have  a 
couple  of  karhowrees  for  townsmen." 

"  Gad !  you're  right,  my  pleasant  fellow.  Ha !  ha  ! 
I'll  put  up  a  banana-leaf  as  physician  from  London  — 
deliver  lectures  on  Polynesian  antiquities  —  teach  Eng- 
lish in  five  lessons,  of  one  hour  each  —  establish  power- 
looms  for  the  manufacture  of  tappa  —  lay  out  a  public 
park  in  the  middle  of  the  village,  and  found  a  festival 
in  honour  of  Captain  Cook  ! " 

"  But,  surely,  not  without  stopping  to  take  breath," 
observed  I. 

The  doctor's  projects,  to  be  sure,  were  of  a  rather 
visionary  cast ;  but  we  seriously  thought,  nevertheless, 
of  prolonging  our  stay  in  the  valley  for  an  indefinite 
period ;  and,  with  this  understanding,  we  were  turning 
over  various  plans  for  spending  our  time  pleasantly,  when 
several  women  came  running  into  the  house,  and  hur- 
riedly besought  us  to  heree!  heree!  (make  our  escape), 
crying  out  something  about  the  mickonares. 

Thinking  that  we  were  about  to  be  taken  up  under 
the  act  for  the  suppression  of  vagrancy,  we  flew  out  of 
the  house,  sprang  into  a  canoe  before  the  door,  and 
paddled  with  might  and  main  over  to  the  opposite  side 
of  the  lake. 

Approaching  Rartoo's  dwelling,  was  a  great  crowd, 
among  which  we  perceived  several  natives,  who,  from 
their  partly  European  dress,  we  were  certain  did  not 
reside  in  Tamai. 

Plunging  into  the  groves,  we  thanked  our  stars  that 
we  had  thus  narrowly  escaped  being  apprehended  as 
runaway  seamen,  and  marched  off  to  the  beach.  This, 
at  least,  was  what  we  thought  we  had  escaped. 


282  omoo. 

Having  fled  the  village,  we  could  not  think  of  prowl- 
ing about  its  vicinity,  and  then  returning ;  in  doing  so, 
we  might  be  risking  our  liberty  again.  We  therefore 
determined  upon  journeying  back  to  Martair ;  and  set- 
ting our  faces  thitherward,  we  reached  the  planters' 
house  about  nightfall.  They  gave  us  a  cordial  recep- 
tion, and  a  hearty  supper ;  and  we  sat  up  talking  until  a 
late  hour. 

We  now  prepared  to  go  round  to  Taloo,  a  place  from 
which  we  were  not  far  off  when  at  Tamai ;  but  wishing 
to  see  as  much  of  the  island  as  we  could,  we  preferred 
returning  to  Martair,  and  then  going  round  by  way  of 
the  beach.  Taloo,  the  only  frequented  harbour  of 
Imeeo,  lies  on  the  western  side  of  the  island,  almost 
directly  over  against  Martair.  Upon  one  shore  of  the 
bay  stands  the  village  of  Partoowye,  a  missionary 
station.  In  its  vicinity  is  an  extensive  sugar  plantation 
—  the  best  in  the  South  Seas,  perhaps  —  worked  by  a 
person  from  Sydney. 

The  patrimonial  property  of  the  husband  of  Pomaree, 
and  every  way  a  delightful  retreat,  Partoowye  was  one 
of  the  occasional  residences  of  the  court.  But  at  the 
time  I  write  of,  it  was  permanently  fixed  there,  the 
queen  having  fled  thither  from  Tahiti. 

Partoowye,  they  told  us,  was  by  no  means  the  place 
Papeetee  was.  Ships  seldom  touched,  and  very  few  for- 
eigners were  living  ashore.  A  solitary  whaler,  however, 
was  reported  to  be  lying  in  the  harbour,  wooding  and 
watering,  and  said  to  be  in  want  of  men. 

All  things  considered,  I  could  not  help  looking  upon 
Taloo  as  offering  "  a  splendid  opening  "  for  us  adven- 
turers. To  say  nothing  of  the  facilities  presented  for 
going  to  sea  in  the  whaler,  or  hiring  ourselves  out  as 
day  labourers  in  the  sugar  plantation,  there  were  hopes 


THE  HEGIRA,  OR  FLIGHT.  283 

to  be  entertained  of  being  promoted  to  some  office  of 
high  trust  and  emolument,  about  the  person  of  her 
majesty,  the  queen. 

Nor  was  this  expectation  altogether  Quixotic.  In  the 
train  of  many  Polynesian  princes,  roving  whites  are 
frequently  found :  gentlemen  pensioners  of  state,  bask- 
ing in  the  tropical  sunshine  of  the  court,  and  leading 
the  pleasantest  lives  in  the  world.  Upon  islands  little 
visited  by  foreigners,  the  first  seaman  that  settles  down 
is  generally  domesticated  in  the  family  of  the  head 
chief  or  king ;  where  he  frequently  discharges  the 
functions  of  various  offices,  elsewhere  filled  by  as 
many  different  individuals.  As  historiographer,  for 
instance,  he  gives  the  natives  some  account  of  distant 
countries ;  as  commissioner  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  he 
instructs  them  in  the  use  of  the  jack-knife,  and  the  best 
way  of  shaping  bits  of  iron  hoop  into  spearheads  ;  and 
as  interpreter  to  his  majesty,  he  facilitates  intercourse 
with  strangers  ;  besides  instructing  the  people  generally 
in  the  uses  of  the  most  common  English  phrases,  civil 
and  profane  ;  but  oftener  the  latter. 

These  men  generally  marry  well ;  often  —  like  Hardy 
of  Hannamanoo  —  into  the  blood  royal. 

Sometimes  they  officiate  as  personal  attendant,  or  first 
lord  in  waiting,  to  the  king.  At  Amboi,  one  of  the 
Tonga  Islands,  a  vagabond  Welshman  bends  his  knee  as 
cupbearer  to  his  cannibal  majesty.  He  mixes  his  morn- 
ing cup  of  "  arva,"  and,  with  profound  genuflections 
presents  it  in  a  cocoa-nut  bowl,  richly  carved.  Upon 
another  island  of  the  same  group,  where  it  is  customary 
to  bestow  no  small  pains  in  dressing  the  hair  —  frizzing 
it  out  by  a  curious  process,  into  an  enormous  Pope's- 
head  —  an  old  man-of-war's-man  fills  the  post  of  barber 
to  the  king.     And  as  his  majesty  is  not  very  neat,  his 


284  omoo. 

mop  is  exceedingly  populous  ;  so  that,  when  Jack  is  not 
engaged  in  dressing  the  head  intrusted  to  his  charge,  he 
busies  himself  in  gently  titillating  it  —  a  sort  of  skewer 
being  actually  worn  about  in  the  patient's  hair  for  that 
special  purpose. 

Even  upon  the  Sandwich  Islands,  a  low  rabble  of 
foreigners  is  kept  about  the  person  of  Kamehameha, 
for  the  purpose  of  ministering  to  his  ease  or  enjoy- 
ment. 

Billy  Loon,  a  jolly  little  negro,  tricked  out  in  a  soiled 
blue  jacket,  studded  all  over  with  rusty  bell-buttons, 
and  garnished  with  shabby  gold  lace,  is  the  royal  drum- 
mer and  pounder  of  the  tambourine.  Joe,  a  wooden- 
legged  Portuguese,  who  lost  his  leg  by  a  whale,  is 
violinist;  and  Mordecai,  as  he  is  called,  a  villanous- 
looking  scamp,  going  about  with  his  cups  and  balls  in  a 
side  pocket,  diverts  the  court  with  his  jugglery.  These 
idle  rascals  receive  no  fixed  salary,  being  altogether 
dependent  upon  the  casual  bounty  of  their  master. 
Now  and  then  they  run  up  a  score  at  the  dance  houses 
in  Honolulu,  where  the  illustrious  Kamehameha  III. 
afterwards  calls  and  settles  the  bill. 

A  few  years  since,  an  auctioneer  to  his  majesty  came 
near  being  added  to  the  retinue  of  state.  It  seems  that 
he  was  the  first  man  who  had  practised  his  vocation  on 
the  Sandwich  Islands ;  and  delighted  with  the  sport  of 
bidding  upon  his  wares,  the  king  was  one  of  his  best 
customers.  At  last  he  besought  the  man  to  leave  his 
profession,  and  he  should  be  handsomely  provided  for 
at  court.  But  the  auctioneer  refused  ;  and  so  the  ivory 
hammer  lost  the  chance  of  being  borne  before  him 
on  a  velvet  cushion,  when  the  next  king  went  to  be 
crowned. 


THE  HEGIRA,  OR  FLIGHT.  285 

But  it  was  not  as  strolling  players,  nor  as  footmen 
out  of  employ,  that  the  doctor  and  myself  looked  for- 
ward to  our  approaching  introduction  to  the  court  of 
the  Queen  of  Tahiti.  On  the  contrary,  as  before 
hinted,  we  expected  to  swell  the  appropriations  of 
bread-fruit  and  cocoa-nuts  on  the  civil  list,  by  filling 
some  honourable  office  in  her  gift. 

We  were  told,  that  to  resist  the  usurpation  of  the 
French,  the  queen  was  rallying  about  her  person  all  the 
foreigners  she  could.  Her  partiality  for  the  English 
and  Americans  was  well  known ;  and  this  was  an  addi- 
tional ground  for  our  anticipating  a  favourable  recep- 
tion. Zeke  had  informed  us,  moreover,  that  by  the 
queen's  counsellors  at  Partoowye,  a  war  of  aggression 
against  the  invaders  at  Papeetee  had  been  seriously 
thought  of.  Should  this  prove  true,  a  surgeon's  com- 
mission for  the  doctor,  and  a  lieutenancy  for  myself, 
were  certainly  counted  upon  in  our  sanguine  expec- 
tations. 

Such,  then,  were  our  views,  and  such  our  hopes  in 
projecting  a  trip  to  Taloo.  But  in  our  most  lofty  aspi- 
rations, we  by  no  means  lost  sight  of  any  minor  matters 
which  might  help  us  to  promotion.  The  doctor  had 
informed  me,  that  he  excelled  in  playing  the  fiddle.  I 
now  suggested,  that  as  soon  as  we  arrived  at  Partoowye, 
we  should  endeavour  to  borrow  a  violin  for  him  ;  or  if 
this  could  not  be  done,  that  he  should  manufacture 
some  kind  of  a  substitute,  and  thus  equipped,  apply  for 
an  audience  of  the  queen.  Her  well-known  passion 
for  music  would  at  once  secure  his  admittance  ;  and  so, 
under  the  most  favourable  auspices,  bring  about  our 
introduction  to  her  notice. 

'•  And  who  knows,"  said  my  waggish  comrade,  throw- 


286  omoo. 

ing  his  head  back,  and  performing  an  imaginary  air  by 
briskly  drawing  one  arm  across  the  other,  "  who  knows, 
that  I  may  not  fiddle  myself  into  her  majesty's  good 
graces,  so  as  to  become  a  sort  of  Rizzio  to  the  Tahitian 
princess  ?  " 


CHAPTER  LXVI. 

HOW   WE   WERE  TO   GET  TO  TALOO. 

The  inglorious  circumstances  of  our  somewhat  pre- 
mature departure  from  Tamai,  filled  the  sagacious  doc- 
tor and  myself  with  sundry  misgivings  for  the  future. 

Under  Zeke's  protection,  we  were  secure  from  all  im- 
pertinent interference  in  our  concerns  on  the  part  of  the 
natives.  But  as  friendless  wanderers  over  the  island, 
we  ran  the  risk  of  being  apprehended  as  runaways,  and 
as  such,  sent  back  to  Tahiti.  The  truth  is,  that  the  re- 
wards constantly  offered  for  the  apprehension  of  desert- 
ers from  ships,  induce  some  of  the  natives  to  eye  all 
strangers  suspiciously. 

A  passport  was  therefore  desirable  ;  but  such  a  thing 
had  never  been  heard  of  in  Imeeo.  At  last,  Long  Ghost 
suggested,  that  as  the  Yankee  was  well  known,  and 
much  respected  all  over  the  island,  we  should  endeavour 
to  obtain  from  him  some  sort  of  paper,  not  only  certify- 
ing to  our  having  been  in  his  employ,  but  also  to  our 
not  being  highwaymen,  kidnappers,  nor  yet  runaway 
seamen.  Even  written  in  English,  a  paper  like  this 
would  answer  every  purpose  ;  for  the  unlettered  natives, 
standing  in  great  awe  of  the  document,  would  not  dare 
to  molest  us  until  acquainted  with  its  purport.     Then, 


HOW   WE    WERE  TO   GET  TO   TALOO.  287 

if  it  came  to  the  worst,  we  might  repair  to  the  nearest 
missionary,  and  have  the  passport  explained. 

Upon  informing  Zeke  of  these  matters,  he  seemed  highly 
flattered  with  the  opinion  we  entertained  of  his  reputa- 
tion abroad  ;  and  he  agreed  to  oblige  us.  The  doctor  at 
once  offered  to  furnish  him  with  a  draught  of  the  paper ; 
but  he  refused,  saying  he  would  write  it  himself.  With 
a  rooster's  quill,  therefore,  a  bit  of  soiled  paper,  and  a 
stout  heart,  he  set  to  work.  Evidently,  he  was  not  ac- 
customed to  composition  ;  for  his  literary  throes  were  so 
violent,  that  the  doctor  suggested  that  some  sort  of  a 
Caesarian  operation  might  be  necessary. 

The  precious  paper  was  at  last  finished ;  and  a  great 
curiosity  it  was.  We  were  much  diverted  with  his  rea- 
sons for  not  dating  it. 

"  In  this  here  dumned  climate,"  he  observed,  "  a  feller 
can't  keep  the  run  of  the  months,  no  how  ;  cause  there's 
no  seasons ;  no  summer  and  winter  to  go  by.  One's 
etarnally  thinkin'  it's  always  July,  it's  so  pesky  hot." 

A  passport  provided,  we  cast  about  for  some  means  of 
getting  to  Taloo. 

The  island  of  Imeeo  is  very  nearly  surrounded  by  a 
regular  breakwater  of  coral,  extending  within  a  mile  or 
less  of  the  shore.  The  smooth  canal  within  furnishes 
the  best  means  of  communication  with  the  different  set- 
tlements ;  all  of  which,  with  the  exception  of  Tamai,  are 
right  upon  the  water.  And  so  indolent  are  the  Imeeose, 
that  they  think  nothing  of  going  twenty  or  thirty  miles 
round  the  island,  in  a  canoe,  in  order  to  reach  a  place 
not  a  quarter  of  that  distance  by  land.  But  as  hinted 
before,  the  fear  of  the  bullocks  has  something  to  do  with 
this. 

The  idea  of  journeying  in  a  canoe  struck  our  fancy 
quite  pleasantly  ;  and  we  at  once  set  about  chartering 


288  omoo. 

one,  if  possible.  But  none  could  we  obtain.  For  not 
only  did  we  have  nothing  to  pay  for  hiring  one,  but  we 
could  not  expect  to  have  it  loaned ;  inasmuch  as  the 
good-natured  owner  would,  in  all  probability,  have  to 
walk  along  the  beach  as  we  paddled,  in  order  to  bring 
back  his  property  when  we  had  no  further  use  for  it. 

At  last,  it  was  decided  to  commence  our  journey  on 
foot ;  trusting  that  we  would  soon  fall  in  with  a  canoe 
going  our  way,  in  which  we  might  take  passage. 

The  planters  said  we  would  find  no  beaten  path :  — 
all  we  had  to  do  was  to  follow  the  beach ;  and  however 
inviting  it  might  look  inland,  on  no  account  must  we 
stray  from  it.  In  short,  the  longest  way  round  was  the 
nearest  way  to  Taloo.  At  intervals,  there  were  little 
hamlets  along  the  shore,  besides  lonely  fishermen's  huts 
here  and  there,  where  we  could  get  plenty  to  eat  with- 
out pay  ;  so  there  was  no  necessity  to  lay  in  any  store. 

Intending  to  be  off  before  sunrise  the  next  morning, 
so  as  to  have  the  benefit  of  the  coolest  part  of  the  day, 
we  bade  our  kind  host  farewell  overnight ;  and  then,  re- 
pairing to  the  beach,  we  launched  our  floating  pallet,  and 
slept  away  merrily  till  dawn. 


CHAPTER  LXVII. 

THE  JOURNEY  ROUND  THE  BEACH. 

It  was  on  the  fourth  day  of  the  first  month  of  the 
Hegira,  or  Flight  from  Tamai  (we  now  reckoned  our 
time  thus),  that,  rising  bright  and  early,  we  were  up 
and  away  out  of  the  valley  of  Martair,  before  the  fisher- 
men even  were  stirring. 


THE  JOURNEY  BOUND   THE  BEACH.  289 

It  was  the  earliest  dawn.  The  morning  only  showed 
itself  along  the  lower  edge  of  a  bank  of  purple  clouds, 
pierced  by  the  misty  peaks  of  Tahiti.  The  tropical  day 
seemed  too  languid  to  rise.  Sometimes,  starting  fitfully, 
it  decked  the  clouds  with  faint  edgings  of  pink  and 
gray,  which,  fading  away,  left  all  dim  again.  Anon,  it 
threw  out  thin,  pale  rays,  growing  lighter  and  lighter, 
until  at  last,  the  golden  morning  sprang  out  of  the  East 
with  a  bound  —  darting  its  bright  beams  hither  and 
thither,  higher  and  higher,  and  sending  them,  broadcast, 
over  the  face  of  the  heavens. 

All  balmy  from  the  groves  of  Tahiti,  came  an  indo- 
lent air,  cooled  by  its  transit  over  the  waters  ;  and  grate- 
ful under  foot  was  the  damp  and  slightly  yielding 
beach,  from  which  the  waves  seemed  just  retired. 

The  doctor  was  in  famous  spirits  ;  removing  his  Roora, 
he  went  splashing  into  the  sea ;  and,  after  swimming  a 
few  yards,  waded  ashore,  hopping,  skipping,  and  jump- 
ing along  the  beach  ;  but  very  careful  to  cut  all  his  ca- 
pers in  the  direction  of  our  journey. 

Say  what  they  will  of  the  glowing  independence  one 
feels  in  the  saddle,  give  me  the  first  morning  flush  of 
your  cheery  pedestrian  ! 

Thus  exhilarated,  we  went  on,  as  light-hearted  and 
care-free  as  we  could  wish. 

And  here  I  cannot  refrain  from  lauding  the  very  supe- 
rior inducements  which  most  intertropical  countries 
afford,  not  only  to  mere  rovers  like  ourselves,  but  to 
penniless  people  generally.  In  these  genial  regions, 
one's  wants  are  naturally  diminished ;  and  those  which 
remain  are  easily  gratified :  fuel,  house-shelter,  and, 
if  you  please,  clothing,  may  be  entirely  dispensed 
with. 

How  different,  our  hard  northern  latitudes !     Alas ! 


290  omoo. 

the  lot  of  a  "  poor  devil,"  twenty  degrees  north  of  the 
tropic  of  Cancer,  is  indeed  pitiable. 

At  last,  the  beach  contracted  to  hardly  a  yard's  width, 
and  the  dense  thicket  almost  dipped  into  the  sea.  In 
place  of  the  smooth  sand,  too,  we  had  sharp  fragments 
of  broken  coral,  which  made  travelling  exceedingly  un- 
pleasant. "  Lord  !  my  foot !  "  roared  the  doctor,  fetch- 
ing it  up  for  inspection,  with  a  galvanic  fling  of  the 
limb.  A  sharp  splinter  had  thrust  itself  into  the  flesh, 
through  a  hole  in  his  boot.  My  sandals  were  worse 
yet ;  their  soles  taking  a  sort  of  fossil  impression  of 
everything  trod  upon. 

Turning  round  a  bold  sweep  of  the  beach,  we  came 
upon  a  piece  of  fine,  open  ground,  with  a  fisherman's 
dwelling  in  the  distance,  crowning  a  knoll  which  rolled 
off  into  the  water. 

The  hut  proved  to  be  a  low,  rude  erection,  very 
recently  thrown  up ;  for  the  bamboos  were  still  green  as 
grass,  and  the  thatching,  fresh  and  fragrant  as  meadow 
hay.  It  was  open  upon  three  sides ;  so  that,  upon 
drawing  near,  the  domestic  arrangements  within  were 
in  plain  sight.  No  one  was  stirring  ;  and  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  but  a  clumsy  old  chest  of  native  workman- 
ship, a  few  calabashes,  and  bundles  of  tappa  hanging 
against  a  post ;  and  a  heap  of  something,  we  knew  not 
what,  in  a  dark  corner.  Upon  close  inspection,  the 
doctor  discovered  it  to  be  a  loving  old  couple,  locked  in 
each  other's  arms,  and  rolled  together  in  a  tappa 
mantle. 

"  Halloa !  Darby  !  "  he  cried,  shaking  the  one  with  a 
beard.  But  Darby  heeded  him  not ;  though  Joan,  a 
wrinkled  old  body,  started  up  in  affright,  and  yelled 
aloud.  Neither  of  us  attempting  to  gag  her,  she  pre* 
sently  became  quiet ;  and  after  staring  hard,  and  asking 


THE  JOURNEY  ROUND  THE  BEACH.  291 

some  unintelligible  questions,  she  proceeded  to  rouse 
her  still  slumbering  mate. 

What  ailed  him,  we  could  not  tell ;  but  there  was  no 
waking  him.  Equally  in  vain  were  all  his  dear  spouse's 
cuffs,  pinches,  and  other  endearments  ;  he  lay  like  a 
log,  face  up,  and  snoring  away  like  a  cavalry  trumpeter. 

"Here,  my  good  woman,"  said  Long  Ghost,  "just  let 
me  try ;  "  and,  taking  the  patient  right  by  his  nose,  he 
so  lifted  him  bodily,  into  a  sitting  position,  and  held 
him  there  until  his  eyes  opened.  When  this  event 
came  to  pass,  Darby  looked  round  like  one  stupefied ; 
and  then,  springing  to  his  feet,  backed  away  into  a  cor- 
ner, from  which  place  we  became  the  objects  of  his  earn- 
est and  respectful  attention. 

"  Permit  me,  my  dear  Darby,  to  introduce  to  you  my 
esteemed  friend  and  comrade,  Paul,"  said  the  doctor, 
gallanting  me  up  with  all  the  grimace  and  flourish  im- 
aginable. Upon  this,  Darby  began  to  recover  his  fac- 
ulties, and  surprised  us  not  a  little,  by  talking  a  few 
words  of  English.  So  far  as  could  be  understood,  they 
were  expressive  of  his  having  been  aware,  that  there 
were  two  "  karhowrees  "  in  the  neighbourhood ;  that  he 
was  glad  to  see  us,  and  would  have  something  for  us  to 
eat  in  no  time. 

How  he  came  by  his  English,  was  explained  to  us 
before  we  left.  Some  time  previous,  he  had  been  a  den- 
izen of  Papeetee,  where  the  native  language  is  broidered 
over  with  the  most  classic  sailor  phrases.  He  seemed 
to  be  quite  proud  of  his  residence  there,  and  alluded  to 
it  in  the  same  significant  way  in  which  a  provincial  in- 
forms you  that  in  his  time  he  has  resided  in  the  capital. 
The  old  fellow  was  disposed  to  be  garrulous  ;  but  being 
sharp-set,  we  told  him  to  get  breakfast ;  after  which  we 
would  hear  his  anecdotes.     While  employed  among  the 


292  omoo. 

calabashes,  the  strange,  antiquated  fondness  between 
these  old  semi-savages  was  really  amusing.  I  made  no 
doubt  that  they  were  saying  to  each  other,  "  Yes,  my 
love  "  — "  No,  my  life,"  just  in  the  way  that  some 
young  couples  do  at  home. 

They  gave  us  a  hearty  meal ;  and,  while  we  were  dis- 
cussing its  merits,  they  assured  us,  over  and  over  again, 
that  they  expected  nothing  in  return  for  their  atten- 
tions ;  more :  we  were  at  liberty  to  stay  as  long  as  we 
pleased,  and,  as  long  as  we  did  stay,  their  house  and 
everything  they  had,  was  no  longer  theirs,  but  ours; 
still  more :  they  themselves  were  our  slaves  —  the  old 
lady,  to  a  degree  that  was  altogether  superfluous.  This, 
now,  is  Tahitian  hospitality!  Self-immolation  upon 
one's  own  hearthstone  for  the  benefit  of  the  guest. 

The  Polynesians  carry  their  hospitality  to  an  amazing 
extent.  Let  a  native  of  Waiurar,  the  westernmost  part 
of  Tahiti,  make  his  appearance  as  a  traveller  at  Par- 
toowye,  the  most  easternly  village  of  Imeeo,  though  a 
perfect  stranger,  the  inhabitants  on  all  sides  accost  him 
at  their  doorways,  inviting  him  to  enter,  and  make  him- 
self at  home.  But  the  traveller  passes  on,  examining 
every  house  attentively,  until,  at  last,  he  pauses  before 
one  which  suits  him,  and  then  exclaiming,  "Ah,  ena 
maitai "  (this  one  will  do,  I  think),  he  steps  in,  and 
makes  himself  perfectly  at  ease,  flinging  himself  upon 
the  mats,  and  very  probably  calling  for  a  nice  young 
cocoa-nut,  and  a  piece  of  toasted  bread-fruit,  sliced  thin, 
and  done  brown. 

Curious  to  relate,  however,  should  a  stranger  carrying 
it  thus  bravely,  be  afterward  discovered  to  be  without  a 
house  of  his  own,  why,  he  may  thenceforth  go  a-begging 
for  his  lodgings.  The  "  karhowrees,"  or  white  men, 
are  exceptions  to  this  rule.     Thus  is  it  precisely  as  in 


THE  JOURNEY  ROUND   THE  BEACH.  293 

civilised  countries ;  where  those  who  have  houses  and 
lands  are  incessantly  bored  to  death  with  invitations  to 
come  and  live  in  other  people's  houses,  while  many  a 
poor  gentleman  who  inks  the  seams  of  his  coat,  and  to 
whom  the  like  invitation  would  be  really  acceptable, 
may  go  and  sue  for  it.  But  to  the  credit  of  the  ancient 
Tahitians,  it  should  here  be  observed,  that  this  blemish 
upon  their  hospitality  is  only  of  recent  origin,  and  was 
wholly  unknown  in  old  times.  So  told  me  Captain 
Bob. 

In  Polynesia  it  is  esteemed  a  great  hit,  if  a  man  suc- 
ceed in  marrying  into  a  family,  to  which  the  best  part  I 
of  the  community  is  related  (Heaven  knows  it  is  other-  \ 
wise  with  us).    The  reason  is,  that  when  he  goes  a-trav- 
elling,  the  greater  number  of  houses  are  the  more  com- 
pletely at  his  service. 

Receiving  a  paternal  benediction  from  old  Darby  and 
Joan,  we  continued  our  journey ;  resolved  to  stop  at 
the  very  next  place  of  attraction  which  offered. 

Nor  did  we  long  stroll  for  it.  A  fine  walk  along  a 
beach  of  shells,  and  we  came  to  a  spot,  where  with  trees 
here  and  there,  the  land  was  all  meadow,  sloping  away 
to  the  water,  which  stirred  a  sedgy  growth  of  reeds 
bordering  its  margin.  Close  by  was  a  little  cove, 
walled  in  with  coral,  where  a  fleet  of  canoes  was  dan- 
cing up  and  down.  A  few  paces  distant,  on  a  natural 
terrace  overlooking  the  sea,  were  several  native  dwell- 
ings, newly  thatched,  and  peeping  into  view  out  of  the 
foliage,  like  summer-houses. 

As  we  drew  near,  forth  came  a  burst  of  voices ;  and 
presently,  three  gay  girls,  overflowing  with  life,  health, 
and  youth,  and  full  of  spirits  and  mischief.  One  was 
arrayed  in  a  flaunting  robe  of  calico  ;  and  her  long  black 
hair  was  braided  behind  in  two  immense  tresses,  joined 


294  omoo. 

together  at  the  ends,  and  wreathed  with  the  green  ten- 
drils of  a  vine.  From  her  self-possessed  and  forward  air 
I  fancied  she  might  be  some  young  lady  from  Papeetee, 
on  a  visit  to  her  country  relations.  Her  companions 
wore  mere  slips  of  cotton  cloth  ;  their  hair  was  dishev- 
elled ;  and,  though  very  pretty,  they  betrayed  the  re- 
serve and  embarrassment  characteristic  of  the  provinces. 

The  little  gypsy  first  mentioned  ran  up  to  me  with 
great  cordiality ;  and  giving  the  Tahitian  salutation, 
opened  upon  me  such  a  fire  of  questions,  that  there  was 
no  understanding,  much  less  answering,  them.  But 
our  hearty  welcome  to  Loohooloo,  as  she  called  the 
hamlet,  was  made  plain  enough.  Meanwhile,  Doctor 
Long  Ghost  gallantly  presented  an  arm  to  each  of  the 
other  young  ladies,  which  at  first  they  knew  not  what 
to  make  of ;  but  at  last,  taking  it  for  some  kind  of  a 
joke,  accepted  the  civility. 

The  names  of  these  three  damsels  were  at  once  made 
known  by  themselves;  and  being  so  exceedingly  ro- 
mantic, I  cannot  forbear  particularising  them.  Upon 
my  comrade's  arms,  then,  were  hanging  Night  and 
Morning,  in  the  persons  of  Farnowar,  or  the  Day-born, 
and  Farnoopoo,  or  the  Niglnvborn.  She  with  the  tresses 
was  very  appropriately  styled  Marhar-Rarrar,  the  Wake- 
ful, or  Bright-eyed. 

By  this  time,  the  houses  were  emptied  of  the  rest  of 
their  inmates  —  a  few  old  men  and  women,  and  several 
strapping  young  fellows  rubbing  their  eyes  and  yawning. 
All  crowded  round  putting  questions  as  to  whence  we 
came.  Upon  being  informed  of  our  acquaintance  with 
Zeke,  they  were  delighted;  and  one  of  them  recog- 
nised the  boots  worn  by  the  doctor.  "  Keekee  (Zeke) 
maitai,"  they  cried,  "  nuee  nuee  hanna  hanna  portarto  " 
—  (makes  plenty  of  potatoes). 


A  DINNER-PARTY  IN  1MEE0.  295 

There  was  now  a  little  friendly  altercation  as  to  who 
should  have  the  honour  of  entertaining  the  strangers. 
At  last,  a  tall  old  gentleman,  by  name  Marharvai,  with 
a  bald  head  and  white  beard,  took  us  each  by  the  hand, 
and  led  us  into  his  dwelling.  Once  inside,  Marharvai, 
pointing  about  with  his  staff,  was  so  obsequious  in 
assuring  us  that  his  house  was  ours,  that  Long  Ghost 
suggested  he  might  as  well  hand  over  the  deed. 

It  was  drawing  near  noon ;  so  after  a  light  lunch 
of  roasted  bread-fruit,  a  few  whiffs  of  a  pipe,  and 
some  lively  chatting,  our  host  admonished  the  company 
to  lie  down,  and  take  the  everlasting  siesta.  We  com- 
plied ;  and  had  a  social  nap  all  round. 


CHAPTER  LXVIII. 

A    DINNER-PAKTY   IN   EVXEEO. 

It  was  just  in  the  middle  of  the  merry,  mellow  after- 
noon, that  they  ushered  us  to  dinner,  underneath  a 
green  shelter  of  palm  boughs ;  open  all  round,  and  so 
low  at  the  eaves,  that  we  stooped  to  enter. 

Within,  the  ground  was  strewn  over  with  aromatic 
ferns  —  called  "  nahee  "  —  freshly  gathered  ;  which, 
stirred  under  foot,  diffused  the  sweetest  odour.  On 
one  side  was  a  row  of  yellow  mats,  inwrought  with 
fibres  of  bark,  stained  a  bright  red.  Here,  seated  after 
the  fashion  of  the  Turk,  we  looked  out,  over  a  verdant 
bank,  upon  the  mild,  blue,  endless  Pacific.  So  far 
round  had  we  skirted  the  island,  that  the  view  of  Tahiti 
was  now  intercepted. 


296  omoo. 

Upon  the  ferns  before  us,  were  laid  several  layers  of 
broad  thick  "  pooroo  "  leaves,  lapping  over,  one  upon 
the  other.  And  upon  these  were  placed,  side  by  side, 
newly  plucked  banana  leaves,  at  least  two  yards  in 
length,  and  very  wide :  the  stalks  were  withdrawn,  so 
as  to  make  them  lie  flat.  This  green  cloth  was  set  out 
and  garnished,  in  the  manner  following :  — 

First,  a  number  of  "  pooroo  "  leaves,  by  way  of  plates, 
were  ranged  along  on  one  side ;  and  by  each  was  a  rus- 
tic nut-bowl,  half-filled  with  sea-water,  and  a  Tahitian 
roll,  or  small  bread-fruit,  roasted  brown.  An  immense 
flat  calabash,  placed  in  the  centre,  was  heaped  up  with 
numberless  small  packages  of  moist,  steaming  leaves  : 
in  each  was  a  small  fish,  baked  in  the  earth,  and  done 
to  a  turn.  This  pyramid  of  a  dish  was  flanked  on  either 
side  by  an  ornamental  calabash.  One  was  brimming 
with  the  golden-hue d  "  poee,"  or  pudding,  made  from 
the  red  plantain  of  the  mountains ;  the  other  was 
stacked  up  with  cakes  of  the  Indian  turnip,  previously 
macerated  in  a  mortar,  kneaded  with  the  milk  of  the 
cocoa-nut,  and  then  baked.  In  the  spaces  between  the 
three  dishes,  were  piled  young  cocoa-nuts,  stripped  of 
their  husks.  Their  eyes  had  been  opened  and  enlarged  : 
so  that  each  was  a  ready-charged  goblet. 

There  was  a  sort  of  side-cloth  in  one  corner,  upon 
which,  in  bright  buff  jackets,  lay  the  fattest  of  bananas ; 
"  avees,"  red-ripe ;  guavas,  with  the  shadows  of  their 
crimson  pulp  flushing  through  a  transparent  skin,  and 
almost  coming  and  going  there  like  blushes ;  oranges, 
tinged  here  and  there,  berry-brown ;  and  great  jolly 
melons,  which  rolled  about  in  very  portliness.  Such  a 
heap !  All  ruddy,  ripe,  and  round  —  bursting  with  the 
good  cheer  of  the  tropical  soil,  from  which  they  sprang ! 

"  A  land  of  orchards  !  "  cried  the  doctor,  in  a  rapture  *, 


A  DINNER-PARTY  IN  IMEEO.  297 

and  he  snatched  a  morsel  from  a  sort  of  fruit  of  which 
gentlemen  of  the  sanguine  temperament  are  remarkably 
fond ;  namely,  the  ripe  cherry  lips  of  Miss  Day-born> 
who  stood  looking  on. 

Marharvai  allotted  seats  to  his  guests  ;  and  the  meal 
began.  Thinking  that  his  hospitality  needed  some 
acknowledgment,  I  rose,  and  pledged  him  in  the  vege- 
table wine  of  the  cocoa-nut ;  merely  repeating  the  ordi- 
nary salutation,  "  Yar  onor  boyoee."  Sensible  that 
some  compliment,  after  the  fashion  of  white  men,  was 
paid  him,  with  a  smile,  and  a  courteous  flourish  of  the 
hand,  he  bade  me  be  seated.  No  people,  however 
refined,  are  more  easy  and  graceful  in  their  manners 
than  the  Imeeose. 

The  doctor,  sitting  next  our  host,  now  came  under 
his  special  protection.  Laying  before  his  guest  one  of 
the  packages  of  fish,  Marharvai  opened  it,  and  com- 
mended its  contents  to  his  particular  regards.  But  my 
comrade  was  one  of  those,  who,  on  convivial  occasions, 
can  always  take  care  of  themselves.  He  ate  an  indefi- 
nite number  of  "  pehee  lee  lees  "  (small  fish),  his  own 
and  his  next  neighbour's  bread-fruit;  and  helped  him- 
self, to  right  and  left,  with  all  the  ease  of  an  accom- 
plished diner-out. 

"Paul,"  said  he,  at  last,  "you  don't  seem  to  be  get- 
ting along ;  why  don't  you  try  the  pepper  sauce  ?  "  and, 
by  way  of  example,  he  steeped  a  morsel  of  food  into  his 
nutful  of  sea-water.  On  following  suit,  I  found  it 
quite  piquant,  though  rather  bitter ;  but,  on  the  whole, 
a  capital  substitute  for  salt.  The  Imeeose  invariably 
use  sea-water  in  this  way,  deeming  it  quite  a  treat ;  and 
considering  that  their  country  is  surrounded  by  an 
ocean  of  catsup,  the  luxury  cannot  be  deemed  an  ex- 
pensive one. 


298  omoo. 

The  fish  were  delicious  ;  the  manner  of  cooking  them 
in  the  ground,  preserving  all  the  juices,  and  rendering 
them  exceedingly  sweet  and  tender.  The  plantain  pud- 
ding was  almost  cloying ;  the  cakes  of  Indian  turnip, 
quite  palatable ;  and  the  roasted  bread-fruit,  crisp  as 
toast. 

During  the  meal,  a  native  lad  walked  round  and 
round  the  party,  carrying  a  long  staff  of  bamboo.  This 
he  occasionally  tapped  upon  the  cloth  before  each  guest ; 
when  a  white  clotted  substance  dropped  forth,  with  a 
savour  not  unlike  that  of  a  curd.  This  proved  to  be 
"  lownee,"  an  excellent  relish,  prepared  from  the  grated 
meat  of  ripe  cocoa-nuts,  moistened  with  cocoa-nut  milk 
and  salt  water,  and  kept  perfectly  tight,  until  a  little 
past  the  saccharine  stage  of  fermentation. 

Throughout  the  repast  there  was  much  lively  chat- 
ting among  the  islanders,  in  which  their  conversational 
powers  quite  exceeded  ours.  The  young  ladies,  too, 
showed  themselves  very  expert  in  the  use  of  their 
tongues,  and  contributed  much  to  the  gaiety  which 
prevailed. 

Nor  did  these  lively  nymphs  suffer  the  meal  to  lan- 
guish ;  for  upon  the  doctor's  throwing  himself  back, 
with  an  air  of  much  satisfaction,  they  sprang  to  their 
feet,  and  pelted  him  with  oranges  and  guavas.  This, 
at  last,  put  an  end  to  the  entertainment. 

By  a  hundred  whimsical  oddities,  my  long  friend 
became  a  great  favourite  with  these  people  ;  and  they 
bestowed  upon  him  a  long,  comical  title,  expressive  of 
his  lank  figure  and  Roora  combined.  The  latter,  by  the 
by,  never  failed  to  excite  the  remark  of  every  body  we 
encountered. 

The  giving  of  nicknames  is  quite  a  passion  with  the 
people  of  Tahiti  and  Imeeo.     No  one,  with  any  peculi- 


A  DIN  NEB-PARTY  IN  IMEEO.  299 

arity,  whether  of  person  or  temper,  is  exempt;  not 
even  strangers. 

A  pompous  captain  of  a  man-of-war,  visiting  Tahiti 
for  the  second  time,  discovered  that,  among  the  natives, 
he  went  by  the  dignified  title  of  "  Atee  Poee "  — 
literally,  Poee  Head,  or  Pudding  Head.  Nor  is  the 
highest  rank  among  themselves  any  protection.  The 
first  husband  of  the  present  queen  was  commonly  known 
in  the  court  circles,  as  "  Pot  Belly ."  He  carried  the 
greater  part  of  his  person  before  him,  to  be  sure  ;  and 
so  did  the  gentlemanly  George  IV.  —  but  what  a  title 
for  a  king  consort ! 

Even  "  Pomaree  "  itself,  the  royal  patronymic,  was, 
originally,  a  mere  nickname,  and  literally  signifies,  one 
talking  through  his  nose.  The  first  monarch  of  that 
name,  being  on  a  war  party,  and  sleeping  overnight 
among  the  mountains,  awoke  one  morning  with  a  cold 
in  his  head ;  and  some  wag  of  a  courtier  had  no  more 
manners  than  to  vulgarise  him  thus. 

How  different  from  the  volatile  Polynesian  in  this,  as 
in  all  other  respects,  is  our  grave  and  decorous  North 
American  Indian.  While  the  former  bestows  a  name, 
in  accordance  with  some  humorous  or  ignoble  trait,  the 
latter  seizes  upon  what  is  deemed  the  most  exalted  or 
warlike :  and  hence  among  the  red  tribes,  we  have  the 
truly  patrician  appellations  of  "  White  Eagles,"  "  Young 
Oaks,"  "  Fiery  Eyes,"  and  "  Bended  Bows." 


300  OMOO. 


CHAPTER  LXIX. 

THE  COCOA-PALM. 

While  the  doctor  and  the  natives  were  taking  a 
digestive  nap  after  dinner,  I  strolled  forth  to  have  a  peep 
at  the  country  which  could  produce  so  generous  a 
meal. 

To  my  surprise,  a  fine  strip  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  hamlet,  and  protected  seaward  by  a  grove  of  cocoa- 
nut  and  bread-fruit  trees,  was  under  high  cultivation. 
Sweet  potatoes,  Indian  turnips,  and  yarns  were  growing ; 
also  melons,  a  few  pine-apples,  and  other  fruits.  Still 
more  pleasing  was  the  sight  of  young  bread-fruit  and 
cocoa-nut  trees  set  out  with  great  care,  as  if,  for  once,  the 
improvident  Polynesian  had  thought  of  his  posterity. 
But  this  was  the  only  instance  of  native  thrift  which 
ever  came  under  my  observation.  For,  in  all  my  ram- 
bles over  Tahiti  and  Imeeo,  nothing  so  much  struck  me 
as  the  comparative  scarcity  of  these  trees  in  many  places 
where  they  ought  to  abound.  Entire  valleys,  like  Mar- 
tair,  of  inexhaustible  fertility,  are  abandoned  to  all  the 
rankness  of  untamed  vegetation.  Alluvial  flats  border- 
ing the  sea,  and  watered  by  streams  from  the  mountains, 
are  overgrown  with  a  wild,  scrub  guava-bush,  introduced 
by  foreigners,  and  which  spreads  with  such  fatal  rapid- 
ity, that  the  natives,  standing  still  while  it  grows,  anti- 
cipate its  covering  the  entire  island.  Even  tracts  of 
clear  land,  which,  with  so  little  pains,  might  be  made  to 
wave  with  orchards,  lie  wholly  neglected. 

When  I  consider  their  unequalled  soil  and  climate, 
thus  unaccountably  slighted,  I  often  turned  in  amaze- 


THE  COCOA-PALM.  301 

ment  upon  the  natives  about  Papeetee  ;  some  of  whom  all 
but  starve  in  their  gardens  run  to  waste.  Upon  other 
islands  which  I  have  visited,  of  similar  fertility,  and 
wholly  unreclaimed  from  their  first  discovered  condition, 
no  spectacle  of  this  sort  was  presented. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  many  of  their  fruit- 
trees  are  held  by  the  Tahitians  and  Imeeose  —  their 
beauty  in  the  landscape  —  their  manifold  uses,  and  the 
facility  with  which  they  are  propagated,  are  considera* 
tions  which  render  the  remissness  alluded  to  still  more 
unaccountable.  The  cocoa-palm  is  an  example  ;  a  tree  I 
by  far  the  most  important  production  of  Nature  in  the  / 
Tropics.  To  the  Polynesian,  it  is  emphatically  the  Tree 
of  Life  ;  transcending  even  the  bread-fruit  in  the  multi- 
farious uses  to  which  it  is  applied. 

Its  very  aspect  is  imposing.  Asserting  its  supremacy 
by  an  erect  and  lofty  bearing,  it  may  be  said  to  compare 
with  other  trees,  as  man  with  inferior  creatures. 

The  blessings  it  confers  are  incalculable.  Year  after 
year,  the  islanders  repose  beneath  its  shade,  both  eating 
and  drinking  of  its  fruit ;  he  thatches  his  hut  with  its 
boughs,  and  weaves  them  into  baskets  to  carry  his  food ; 
he  cools  himself  with  a  fan  platted  from  the  young  leaf- 
lets, and  shields  his  head  from  the  sun  by  a  bonnet  of 
the  leaves  ;  sometimes  he  clothes  himself  with  the  cloth- 
like substance  which  wraps  round  the  base  of  the  stalks, 
whose  elastic  rods,  strung  with  filberts,  are  used  as  a 
taper;  the  larger  nuts,  thinned  and  polished,  furnish 
him  with  a  beautiful  goblet;  the  smaller  ones,  with 
bowls  for  his  pipes  -  the  dry  husks  kindle  his  fires ; 
their  fibres  are  twisted  into  fishing-lines  and  cords  for 
his  canoes;  he  heals  his  wounds  with  a  balsam  com- 
pounded from  the  juice  of  the  nut ;  and  with  the  oil  ex- 
tracted from  its  meat,  embalms  the  bodies  of  the  dead. 


302  omoo. 

The  noble  trunk  itself  is  far  from  being  valueless. 
Sawn  into  posts,  it  upholds  the  islander's  dwelling ;  eon- 
verted  into  charcoal,  it  cooks  his  food ;  and  supported 
on  blocks  of  stones,  rails  in  his  lands.  He  impels  his 
canoe  through  the  water  with  a  paddle  of  the  wood,  and 
goes  to  battle  with  clubs  and  spears  of  the  same  hard 
material. 

In  pagan  Tahiti,  a  cocoa-nut  branch  was  the  symbol  of 
regal  authority.  Laid  upon  the  sacrifice  in  the  temple, 
it  made  the  offering  sacred;  and  with  it  the  priests 
chastised  and  put  to  flight  the  evil  spirits  which  assailed 
them.  The  supreme  majesty  of  Oro,  the  great  god  of 
their  mythology,  was  declared  in  the  cocoa-nut  log  from 
which  his  image  was  rudely  carved.  Upon  one  of  the 
Tonga  Islands,  there  stands  a  living  tree,  revered  itself 
as  a  deity.  Even  upon  the  Sandwich  Islands,  the 
cocoa-palm  retains  all  its  ancient  reputation ;  the  people 
there  having  thought  of  adopting  it  as  the  national 
emblem. 

The  cocoa-nut  is  planted  as  follows  :  Selecting  a  suita- 
ble place,  you  drop  into  the  ground  a  fully  ripe  nut,  and 
leave  it.  In  a  few  days,  a  thin,  lance-like  shoot  forces 
itself  through  a  minute  hole  in  the  shell,  pierces  the 
husk,  and  soon  unfolds  three  pale-green  leaves  in  the 
air ;  while  originating,  in  the  same  soft  white  sponge 
which  now  completely  fills  the  nut,  a  pair  of  fibrous 
roots,  pushing  away  the  stoppers  which  close  two  holes 
in  an  opposite  direction,  penetrate  the  shell,  and  strike 
vertically  into  the  ground.  A  day  or  two  more,  and 
the  shell  and  husk,  which  in  the  last  and  germinating 
stage  of  the  nut,  are  so  hard  that  a  knife  will  scarcely 
make  any  impression,  spontaneously  burst  by  some  force 
within ;  and,  henceforth,  the  hardy  young  plant  thrives 
apace ;  and  needing  no  culture,  pruning,  or  attention  of 


THE  COCOA-PALM.  303 

any  sort,  rapidly  arrives  at  maturity.  In  four  or  five 
years  it  bears ;  in  twice  as  many  more,  it  begins  to  lift 
its  head  among  the  groves,  where,  waxing  strong,  it 
flourishes  for  near  a  century. 

Thus,  as  some  voyager  has  said,  the  man  who  but 
drops  one  of  these  nuts  into  the  ground,  may  be  said  to 
confer  a  greater  and  more  certain  benefit  upon  himself 
and  posterity,  than  many  a  life's  toil  in  less  genial 
climes. 

The  fruitfulness  of  the  tree  is  remarkable.  As  long 
as  it  lives,  it  bears ;  and  without  intermission.  Two 
hundred  nuts,  besides  innumerable  white  blossoms  of 
others,  may  be  seen  upon  it  at  one  time ;  and  though  a 
whole  year  is  required  to  bring  any  one  of  them  to  the 
germinating  point,  no  two,  perhaps,  are  at  one  time  in 
precisely  the  same  stage  of  growth. 

The  tree  delights  in  a  maritime  situation.  In  its 
greatest  perfection,  it  is  perhaps  found  right  on  the  sea- 
shore, where  its  roots  are  actually  washed.  But  such 
instances  are  only  met  with  upon  islands  where  the 
swell  of  the  sea  is  prevented  from  breaking  on  the 
beach  by  an  encircling  reef.  No  saline  flavour  is  per- 
ceptible in  the  nut  produced  in  such  a  place.  Although 
it  bears  in  any  soil,  whether  upland  or  bottom,  it  does 
not  flourish  vigorously  inland ;  and  I  have  frequently 
observed,  that  when  met  with  far  up  the  valleys,  its  tall 
stem  inclines  seaward,  as  if  pining  after  a  more  genial 
region. 

It  is  a  curious  fact,  that,  if  you  deprive  the  cocoa-nut 
tree  of  the  verdant  tuft  at  its  head,  it  dies  at  once ;  and 
if  allowed  to  stand  thus,  the  trunk,  which,  when  alive, 
is  encased  in  so  hard  a  bark  as  to  be  almost  impervious 
to  a  bullet,  moulders  away,  and,  in  an  incredibly  short 
period,  becomes  dust.     This  is,  perhaps,  partly  owing 


304  omoo. 

to  the  peculiar  constitution  of  the  trunk,  a  mere  cylin- 
der of  minute  hollow  reeds,  closely  packed,  and  very 
hard ;  but  when  exposed  at  top,  peculiarly  fitted  to 
convey  moisture  and  decay  through  the  entire  stem. 

The  finest  orchard  of  cocoa-palms  I  know,  and  the 
only  plantation  of  them  I  ever  saw  at  the  islands,  is 
one  that  stands  right  upon  the  southern  shore  of 
Papeetee  Bay.  They  were  set  out  by  the  first  Pomaree, 
almost  half-a-century  ago  ;  and  the  soil  being  especially 
adapted  to  their  growth,  the  noble  trees  now  form  a 
magnificent  grove,  nearly  a  mile  in  extent.  No  other 
plant,  scarcely  a  bush,  is  to  be  seen  within  its  precincts. 
The  Broom  Road  passes  through  its  entire  length. 

At  noonday,  this  grove  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful, 
serene,  witching  places  that  ever  was  seen.  High  over- 
head are  ranges  of  green  rustling  arches  ;  through  which 
the  sun's  rays  come  down  to  you  in  sparkles.  You  seem 
to  be  wandering  through  illimitable  halls  of  pillars ; 
everywhere  you  catch  glimpses  of  stately  aisles,  inter- 
secting each  other  at  all  points.  A  strange  silence,  too, 
reigns  far  and  near ;  the  air  flushed  with  the  mellow 
stillness  of  a  sunset. 

But  after  the  long  morning  calms,  the  sea-breeze 
comes  in ;  and  creeping  over  the  tops  of  these  thou- 
sand trees,  they  nod  their  plumes.  Soon  the  breeze 
freshens  ;  and  you  hear  the  branches  brushing  against 
each  other;  and  the  flexible  trunks  begin  to  sway. 
Towards  evening,  the  whole  grove  is  rocking  to  and 
fro  ;  and  the  traveller  on  the  Broom  Road  is  startled  by 
the  frequent  falling  of  the  nuts,  snapped  from  their 
brittle  stems.  They  come  flying  through  the  air,  ring- 
ing like  jugglers'  balls;  and  often  bound  along  the 
ground  for  many  rods. 


LIFE  AT  LOOHOOLOO.  305 

CHAPTER   LXX. 

LITE  AT  LOOHOOLOO. 

Fending  the  society  at  Loohooloo  very  pleasant,  the 
young  ladies,  in  particular,  being  extremely  sociable; 
and,  moreover,  in  love  with  the  famous  good  cheer  of 
old  Marharvai,  we  acquiesced  in  an  invitation  of  his,  to 
tarry  a  few  days  longer.  We  might  then,  he  said,  join 
a  small  canoe  party,  which  was  going  to  a  place  a  league 
or  two  distant.  So  averse  to  all  exertion  are  these 
people,  that  they  really  thought  the  prospect  of  thus 
getting  rid  of  a  few  miles'  walking,  would  prevail  with 
us,  even  if  there  were  no  other  inducement. 

The  people  of  the  hamlet,  as  we  soon  discovered, 
formed  a  snug  little  community  of  cousins  ;  of  which 
our  host  seemed  the  head.  Marharvai,  in  truth,  was  a 
petty  chief,  who  owned  the  neighboring  lands.  And 
as  the  wealthy,  in  most  cases,  rejoice  in  a  numerous 
kindred,  the  family  footing  upon  which  everybody 
visited  him,  was,  perhaps,  ascribable  to  the  fact  of  his 
being  the  lord  of  the  manor.  Like  Captain  Bob,  he 
was,  in  some  things,  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school  —  a 
stickler  for  the  customs  of  a  past  and  pagan  age. 

Nowhere  else,  except  in  Tamai,  did  we  find  the  man- 
ners of  the  natives  less  vitiated  by  recent  changes. 
The  old-fashioned  Tahitian  dinner  they  gave  us  on  the 
day  of  our  arrival,  was  a  fair  sample  of  their  general 
mode  of  living. 

Our  time  passed  delightfully.  The  doctor  went  his 
way,  and  I  mine.  With  a  pleasant  companion,  he  was 
forever  strolling  inland,  ostensibly  to  collect  botanical 


306  omoo. 

specimens;  while  I,  for  the  most  part,  kept  near  the 
sea  ;  sometimes  taking  the  girls  on  aquatic  excursions  in 
a  canoe. 

Often  we  went  fishing  ;  not  dozing  over  stupid  hooks 
and  lines,  but  leaping  right  into  the  water,  and  chasing 
our  prey  over  the  coral  rocks,  spear  in  hand. 

Spearing  fish  is  glorious  sport.  The  Imeeose,  all 
round  the  island,  catch  them  in  no  other  way.  The 
smooth  shallows  between  the  reef  and  the  shore,  and, 
at  low  water,  the  reef  itself,  being  admirably  adapted 
to  this  mode  of  capturing  them.  At  almost  any  time 
of  the  day — save  ever  the  sacred  hour  of  noon  —  you 
may  see  the  fish-hunters  pursuing  their  sport ;  with  loud 
halloes,  brandishing  their  spears,  and  splashing  through 
the  water  in  all  directions.  Sometimes  a  solitary  native 
is  seen,  far  out  upon  a  lonely  shallow,  wading  slowly 
along,  with  eye  intent  and  poised  spear. 

But  the  best  sport  of  all,  is  going  out  upon  the  great 
reef  itself,  by  torch-light.  The  natives  follow  this 
recreation  with  as  much  spirit  as  a  gentleman  of  England 
does  the  chase ;  and  take  full  as  much  delight  in  it. 

The  torch  is  nothing  more  than  a  bunch  of  dry  reeds, 
bound  firmly  together ;  the  spear,  a  long,  light  pole, 
with  an  iron  head,  on  one  side  barbed. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  night,  that  old  Marharvai 
and  the  rest  of  us,  paddling  off  to  the  reef,  leaped 
at  midnight  upon  the  coral  ledges  with  waving  torches 
and  spears.  We  were  more  than  a  mile  from  the  land ; 
the  sullen  ocean  thundering  upon  the  outside  of  the 
rocks,  dashed  the  spray  in  our  faces,  almost  extinguish- 
ing the  flambeaux  ;  and,  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the 
darkness  of  sky  and  water  was  streaked  with  a  long, 
misty  line  of  foam,  marking  the  course  of  the  coral 
barrier.     The  wild  fishermen,  flourishing  their  weapons, 


WE  START  FOR    TALOO.  307 

and  yelling  like  so  many  demons  to  scare  their  prey, 
sprang  from  ledge  to  ledge,  and  sometimes  darted  their 
spears  in  the  very  midst  of  the  breakers. 

But  fish-spearing  was  not  the  only  sport  we  had  at 
Loohooloo.  Right  on  the  beach  was  a  mighty  old 
cocoa-nut  tree,  the  roots  of  which  had  been  underwashed 
by  the  waves,  so  that  the  trunk  inclined  far  over  its 
base.  From  the  tuft  of  the  tree,  a  stout  cord  of  bark 
depended,  the  end  of  which  swept  the  water  several 
yards  from  the  shore.  This  was  a  Tahitian  swing.  A 
native  lad  seizes  hold  of  the  cord,  and,  after  swinging 
to  and  fro  quite  leisurely,  all  at  once  sends  himself  fifty 
or  sixty  feet  from  the  water,  rushing  through  the  air 
like  a  rocket.  I  doubt  whether  any  of  our  rope-dancers 
would  attempt  the  feat.  For  my  own  part,  I  had 
neither  head  nor  heart  for  it;  so,  after  sending  a  lad 
aloft  with  an  additional  cord,  by  way  of  security,  I  con- 
structed a  large  basket  of  green  boughs,  in  which  I  and 
some  particular  friends  of  mine  used  to  swing  over  sea 
and  land  by  the  hour. 


CHAPTER   LXXI. 

WE   START   FOR   TALOO. 

Bright  was  the  morning,  and  brighter  still  the 
smiles  of  the  young  ladies  who  accompanied  us,  when 
we  sprang  into  a  sort  of  family  canoe  —  wide  and 
roomy  —  and  bade  adieu  to  the  hospitable  Marharvai 
and  his  tenantry.  As  we  paddled  away,  they  stood 
upon  the  beach,  waving  their  hands,  and  crying  out, 


308  omoo. 

"  Aroha !  aroha!  "  (Farewell !  farewell !)  as  long  as  we 
were  within  hearing. 

Very  sad  at  parting  with  them,,  we  endeavoured,  nev- 
ertheless, to  console  ourselves  in  the  society  of  our 
fellow-passengers.  Among  these  were  two  old  ladies ; 
but  as  they  said  nothing  to  us,  we  will  say  nothing  about 
them ;  nor  anything  about  the  old  men  who  managed 
the  canoe.  But  of  the  three  mischievous,  dark-eyed 
young  witches,  who  lounged  in  the  stern  of  that  com- 
fortable  old  island  gondola,  I  have  a  great  deal  to  say. 

In  the  first  place,  one  of  them  was  Marhar-Rarrar,  the 
Bright-eyed ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  neither  she  nor 
the  romps,  her  companions,  ever  dreamed  of  taking  the 
voyage,  until  the  doctor  and  myself  announced  our  in- 
tention ;  their  going  along  was  nothing  more  than  a 
madcap  frolic ;  in  short,  they  were  a  parcel  of  wicked 
hoydens,  bent  on  mischief,  who  laughed  in  your  face 
/  when  you  looked  sentimental,  and  only  tolerated  your 
company  when  making  merry  at  your  expense. 

Something  or  other  about  us  was  perpetually  awaking 
their  mirth.  Attributing  this  to  his  own  remarkable 
figure,  the  doctor  increased  their  enjoyment,  by  assum- 
ing the  part  of  a  Merry  Andrew.  Yet  his  cap  and  bells 
never  jingled  but  to  some  tune  ;  and  while  playing  the 
Tom-fool,  I  more  than  suspected  that  he  was  trying  to 
play  the  rake.  At  home,  it  is  deemed  auspicious  to  go 
a-wooing  in  epaulets  ;  but  among  the  Polynesians,  your 
best  dress  in  courting  is  motley. 

A  fresh  breeze  springing  up,  we  set  our  sail  of  mat- 
ting, and  glided  along  as  tranquilly  as  if  floating  upon 
an  inland  stream  ;  the  white  reef  on  one  hand,  and  the 
green  shore  on  the  other. 

Soon  as  we  turned  a  headland,  we  encountered 
another   canoe,   paddling  with   might   and  main  in  an 


WE  START  FOR   TALOO.  309 

opposite  direction  ;  the  strangers  shouting  to  each  other, 
and  a  tall  fellow  in  the  bow  dancing  up  and  down  like 
a  crazy  man.  They  shot  by  us  like  an  arrow,  though 
our  fellow-voyagers  shouted  again  and  again,  for  them 
to  cease  paddling. 

According  to  the  natives,  this  was  a  kind  of  royal 
mail-canoe,  carrying  a  message  from  the  queen  to  her 
friends  in  a  distant  part  of  the  island. 

Passing  several  shady  bowers,  which  looked  quite 
inviting,  we  proposed  touching,  and  diversifying  the 
monotony  of  a  sea-voyage  by  a  stroll  ashore.  So,  for- 
cing our  canoe  among  the  bushes,  behind  a  decayed  palm, 
lying  partly  in  the  water,  we  left  the  old  folks  to  take 
a  nap  in  the  shade,  and  gallanted  the  others  among  the 
trees,  which  were  here  trellised  with  vines  and  creeping 
shrubs. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  afternoon,  we  drew  near  the 
place  to  which  the  party  were  going.  It  was  a  solitary 
house,  inhabited  by  four  or  five  old  women,  who,  when 
we  entered,  were  gathered  in  a  circle  about  the  mats, 
eating  poee  from  a  cracked  calabash.  They  seemed 
delighted  at  seeing  our  companions,  but  rather  drew  up 
when  introduced  to  ourselves.  Eying  us  distrustfully, 
they  whispered  to  know  who  we  were.  The  answers 
they  received  were  not  satisfactory  ;  for  they  treated  us 
with  marked  coolness  and  reserve,  and  seemed  desirous 
of  breaking  off  our  acquaintance  with  the  girls.  Un- 
willing, therefore,  to  stay  where  our  company  was  dis- 
agreeable, we  resolved  to  depart,  without  even  eating 
a  meal. 

Informed  of  this,  Marhar-Rarrar  and  her  companions 
evinced  the  most  lively  concern  ;  and  equally  unmind- 
ful of  their  former  spirits,  and  the  remonstrances  of  the 
old  ladies,  broke  forth  into  sobs  and  lamentations,  which 


310  OMOO. 

were  not  to  be  withstood.  We  agreed,  therefore,  to 
tarry  until  they  left  for  home  ;  which  would  be  at  the 
"Aheharar,"  or  Falling  of  the  Sun;  in  other  words,  at 
sunset. 

When  the  hour  arrived,  after  much  leave-taking,  we 
saw  them  safely  embarked.  As  the  canoe  turned  a  bluff, 
they  seized  the  paddles  from  the  hands  of  the  old  men, 
and  waved  them  silently  in  the  air.  This  was  meant 
for  a  touching  farewell,  as  the  paddle  is  only  waved 
thus,  when  the  parties  separating  never  more  expect  to 
meet. 

We  now  continued  our  journey;  and  following  the 
beach,  soon  came  to  a  level  and  lofty  overhanging  bank, 
which,  planted  here  and  there  with  trees,  took  a  broad 
sweep  round  a  considerable  part  of  the  island.  A  fine 
pathway  skirted  the  edge  of  the  bank  ;  and  often  we 
paused  to  admire  the  scenery.  The  evening  was  still 
and  fair,  even  for  so  heavenly  a  climate  ;  and  all  round, 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  the  blending  blue  sky 
and  ocean. 

As  we  went  on,  the  reef -belt  still  accompanied  us; 
turning  as  we  turned,  and  thundering  its  distant  bass 
upon  the  ear,  like  the  unbroken  roar  of  a  cataract. 
Dashing  for  ever  against  their  coral  rampart,  the  break- 
ers looked,  in  the  distance,  like  a  line  of  rearing  white 
chargers,  reined  in,  tossing  their  white  manes,  and 
bridling  with  foam. 

These  great  natural  breakwaters  are  admirably  de- 
signed for  the  protection  of  this  land.  Nearly  all  the 
Society  Islands  are  defended  by  them.  Were  the  vast 
swells  of  the  Pacific  to  break  against  the  soft  alluvial 
bottoms  which  in  many  places  border  the  sea,  the  soil 
would  soon  be  washed  away,  and  the  natives  be  thus 
deprived  of  their  most  productive  lands.  As  it  is,  the 
banks  of  no  rivulet  are  firmer. 


A  DEALER  IN  THE  CONTRABAND.  311 

But  the  coral  barriers  answer  another  purpose.  They 
form  all  the  harbours  of  this  group,  including  the 
twenty-four  round  about  the  shores  of  Tahiti.  Curiously 
enough,  the  openings  in  the  reefs,  by  which  alone  ves- 
sels enter  to  their  anchorage,  are  invariably  opposite 
the  mouths  of  running  streams :  an  advantage  fully 
appreciated  by  the  mariner  who  touches  for  the  purpose 
of  watering  his  ship. 

It  is  said,  that  the  fresh  water  of  the  land,  mixing 
with  the  salts  held  in  solution  by  the  sea,  so  acts  upon 
the  latter,  as  to  resist  the  formation  of  the  coral ;  and 
hence  the  breaks.  Here  and  there,  these  openings  are 
sentinelled,  as  it  were,  by  little  fairy  islets,  green  as 
emerald,  and  waving  with  palms.  Strangely  and  beau- 
tifully diversifying  the  long  line  of  breakers,  no  objects 
can  strike  the  fancy  more  vividly.  Pomaree  II.,  with  a 
taste  in  watering-places  truly  Tahitian,  selected  one  of 
them  as  a  royal  retreat.     We  passed  it  on  our  journey. 

Omitting  several  further  adventures  which  befell  us 
after  leaving  the  party  from  Loohooloo,  we  must  now 
hurry  on,  to  relate  what  happened  just  before  reaching 
the  place  of  our  destination. 


CHAPTER  LXXII. 

A   DEALER   IN   THE   CONTRABAND. 

It  must  have  been  at  least  the  tenth  day,  reckoning 
from  the  Hegira,  that  we  found  ourselves  the  guests  of 
Varvy,  an  old  hermit  of  an  islander,  who  kept  house  by 
himself,  perhaps  a  couple  of  leagues  from  Taloo. 


312  omoo. 

A  stone's  cast  from  the  beach  there  was  a  fantastic 
rock,  moss-grown,  and  deep  in  a  dell.  It  was  insulated 
by  a  shallow  brook,  which,  dividing  its  waters,  flowed 
on  both  sides,  until  united  below.  Twisting  its  roots 
round  the  rock,  a  gnarled  "  Aoa  "  spread  itself  overhead 
in  a  wilderness  of  foliage ;  the  elastic  branch-roots  de- 
pending from  the  larger  boughs,  insinuating  themselves 
into  every  cleft,  thus  forming  supports  to  the  parent 
stem.  In  some  places,  these  pendulous  branches,  half- 
grown,  had  not  yet  reached  the  rock ;  swinging  their 
loose  fibrous  ends  in  the  air  like  whiplashes. 

Varvy's  hut,  a  mere  coop  of  bamboos,  was  perched 
upon  a  level  part  of  the  rock,  the  ridge-pole  resting  at 
one  end  in  a  crotch  of  the  "  Aoa,"  and  the  other  propped 
by  a  forked  bough  planted  in  a  fissure. 

Notwithstanding  our  cries  as  we  drew  near,  the  first 
hint  the  old  hermit  received  of  our  approach,  was  the 
doctor's  stepping  up  and  touching  his  shoulder,  as  he 
was  kneeling-  over  on  a  stone,  clean ing;  fish  in  the  brook. 
He  leaped  up,  and  stared  at  us.  But  with  a  variety  of 
uncouth  gestures,  he  soon  made  us  welcome ;  informing 
us,  by  the  same  means,  that  he  was  both  deaf  and  dumb; 
he  then  motioned  us  into  his  dwelling. 

Going  in,  we  threw  ourselves  upon  an  old  mat,  and 
peered  round.  The  soiled  bamboos  and  calabashes 
looked  so  uninviting,  that  the  doctor  was  for  pushing 
on  to  Taloo  that  night,  notwithstanding  it  was  near  sun- 
set. But  at  length  we  concluded  to  stay  where  we 
were. 

After  a  good  deal  of  bustling  outside  under  a  decrepit 
shed,  the  old  man  made  his  appearance  with  our  supper. 
In  one  hand  he  held  a  flickering  taper,  and  in  the  other 
a  huge,  flat  calabash,  scantily  filled  with  viands.  His 
eyes  were  dancing  in  his  head,  and  he  looked  from  the 


A  DEALER  IN  THE  CONTRABAND.  813 

calabash  to  us,  and  from  us  to  the  calabash,  as  much  as 
to  say,  "  Ah,  my  lads,  what  do  ye  think  of  this,  eh  ? 
Pretty  good  cheer,  eh  ?  "  But  the  fish  and  Indian  turnip 
being  none  of  the  best,  we  made  but  a  sorry  meal.  While 
discussing  it,  the  old  man  tried  hard  to  make  himself 
understood  by  signs  ;  most  of  which  were  so  excessively 
ludicrous,  that  we  made  no  doubt  he  was  perpetrating  a 
series  of  pantomimic  jokes. 

The  remnants  of  the  feast  removed,  our  host  left  us 
for  a  moment,  returning  with  a  calabash  of  portly  dimen- 
sions, and  furnished  with  a  long  hooked  neck,  the  mouth 
of  which  was  stopped  with  a  wooden  plug.  It  was  cov- 
ered with  particles  of  earth,  and  looked  as  if  just  taken 
from  some  place  under  ground. 

With  sundry  winks  and  horrible  giggles,  peculiar  to 
the  dumb,  the  vegetable  demijohn  was  now  tapped ;  the 
old  fellow  looking  round  cautiously,  and  pointing  at  it; 
as  much  as  to  intimate,  that  it  contained  something 
which  was  "  taboo,"  or  forbidden. 

Aware  that  intoxicating  liquors  were  strictly  prohib- 
ited to  the  natives,  we  now  watched  our  entertainer  with 
much  interest.  Charging  a  cocoa-nut  shell  he  tossed  it 
off,  and  then  filling  it  up  again,  presented  the  goblet  to 
me.  Disliking  the  smell,  I  made  faces  at  it;  upon 
which  he  became  highly  excited ;  so  much  so,  that  a 
miracle  was  wrought  upon  the  spot.  Snatching  the 
cup  from  my  hands,  he  shouted  out,  "  Ah,  karhowree 
sabbee  lee-lee,  ena  arva  tee  maitai !  "  in  other  words, 
What  a  blockhead  of  a  white  man !  this  is  the  real 
stuff! 

We  could  not  have  been  more  startled,  had  a  frog 
leaped  from  his  mouth.  For  an  instant,  he  looked  con- 
fused enough  himself  ;  and  then,  placing  a  finger  myste- 
riously upon  his  mouth,  he  contrived  to  make  us  under- 


314  omoo. 

stand,  that  at  times  he  was  subject  to  a  suspension  of  the 
powers  of  speech. 

Deeming  the  phenomenon  a  remarkable  one,  every- 
way, the  doctor  desired  him  to  open  his  mouth,  so  that 
he  might  have  a  look  down.     But  he  refused. 

This  occurrence  made  us  rather  suspicious  of  our  host ; 
nor  could  we  afterwards  account  for  his  conduct,  except 
by  supposing  that  his  feigning  deafness  might  in  some 
way  or  other  assist  him  in  the  nefarious  pursuits  in 
which  it  afterwards  turned  out  that  he  was  engaged. 
This  conclusion,  however,  was  not  altogether  satisfac- 
tory. 

To  oblige  him,  we  at  last  took  a  sip  of  his  "  arva  tee," 
and  found  it  very  crude,  and  strong  as  Lucifer.  Curious 
to  know  whence  it  was  obtained,  we  questioned  him ; 
when,  lighting  up  with  pleasure,  he  seized  the  taper,  and 
led  us  outside  the  hut,  bidding  us  follow. 

After  going  some  distance  through  the  woods,  we 
came  to  a  dismantled  old  shed  of  boughs,  apparently 
abandoned  to  decay.  Underneath,  nothing  was  to  be 
seen  but  heaps  of  decaying  leaves  and  an  immense, 
clumsy  jar,  wide-mouthed,  and,  by  some  means,  rudely 
hollowed  out  from  a  ponderous  stone. 

Here,  for  a  while,  we  were  left  to  ourselves ;  the  old 
man  placing  the  light  in  the  jar,  and  then  disappearing. 
He  returned,  carrying  a  long,  large  bamboo,  and  a 
crotched  stick.  Throwing  these  down,  he  poked  under 
a  pile  of  rubbish,  and  brought  out  a  rough  block  of  wood, 
pierced  through  and  through  with  a  hole,  which  was  im- 
mediately clapped  on  top  of  the  jar.  Then  planting 
the  crotched  stick  upright  about  two  yards  distant, 
and  making  it  sustain  one  end  of  the  bamboo,  he  inserted 
the  other  end  of  the  latter  into  the  hole  in  the  block ; 
concluding  these  arrangements,  by  placing  an  old  cala- 
bash under  the  further  end  of  the  bamboo. 


A  DEALER  IN   THE  CONTRABAND.  315 

Coming  up  to  us  now  with  a  sly,  significant  look,  and 
pointing  admiringly  at  his  apparatus,  he  exclaimed, 
"  Ah,  karhowree,  ena  hannahanna  arva  tee  !  "  as  much 
as  to  say,  "  This,  you  see,  is  the  way  it's  done." 

His  contrivance  was  nothing  less  than  a  native  still, 
where  he  manufactured  his  island  "poteen."  The  dis- 
array in  which  we  found  it  was  probably  intentional,  as 
a  security  against  detection.  Before  we  left  the  shed, 
the  old  fellow  toppled  the  whole  concern  over,  and 
dragged  it  away  piecemeal. 

His  disclosing  his  secret  to  us  thus  was  characteristic 
of  the  "  Tootai  Owrees,"  or  contemners  of  the  missiona- 
ries among  the  natives  :  who,  presuming  that  all  for- 
eigners are  opposed  to  the  ascendenc^-Qf-feke  missionaries, 
take  pleasure  in  making  them/confidants,  whenever  the 
enactments  of  their  rulers  areWcretly  set  at  nought. 

The  substance  from  which  the  liquor  is  produced  is 
called  "Tee,"  which  is  a  large,  fibrous  root,  something 
like  a  yam,  but  smaller.  In  its  green  state,  it  is  exceed- 
ingly acrid ;  but  boiled  or  baked  has  the  sweetness  of 
the  sugar-cane.  After  being  subjected  to  the  fire,  ma- 
cerated, and  reduced  to  a  certain  stage  of  fermentation, 
the  "  Tee  "  is  stirred  up  with  water,  and  is  then  ready 
for  distillation. 

On  returning  to  the  hut,  pipes  were  introduced ;  and, 
after  a  while,  Long  Ghost,  who,  at  first,  had  relished  the 
"Arva  Tee  "  as  little  as  myself,  to  my  surprise,  began 
to  wax  sociable  over  it  with  Varvy  ;  and  before  long  ab- 
solutely got  mellow,  the  old  toper  keeping  him  com- 
pany. ^ ^ 

It  was  a  curious  sight.  Every  one  knows,  that,  so 
long  as  the  occasion  lasts,  there  is  no  stronger  bona  of 
sympathy  and  good  feeling  amoW  men  than  getting 
tipsy  together.     And  how  earnestiy^^nay?  moA»mgly,  a 


316  omoo. 

brace  of  worthies  thus  employed  will  endeavour  to  shed 
light  upon  and  elucidate  their  mystical  ideas  ! 

Fancy  Varvy  and  the  doctor,  then  ;  lovingly  tippling, 
and  brimming  over  with  a  desire  to  become  better  ac- 
quainted ;  the  doctor  politely  bent  upon  carrying  on  the 
conversation  in  the  language  of  his  host,  and  the  old 
hermit  persisting  in  trying  to  talk  English.  The  result 
was,  that  between  the  two,  they  made  such  a  fricassee  of 
vowels  and  consonants,  that  it  was  enough  to  turn  one's 
brain. 

The  next  morning,  on  waking,  I  heard  a  voice  from 
the  tombs.  It  was  the  doctor,  solemnly  pronouncing 
himself  a  dead  man.  He  was  sitting  up,  with  both  hands 
clasped  over  his  forehead,  and  his  pale  face  a  thousand 
times  paler  than  ever. 

'*  That  infernal  stuff  has  murdered  me ! "  he  cried. 
"  Heavens  !  my  head's  jjj_  wheels  and  springs,  like  the 

automaton    chess-player ! What's  to  be  done,  Paul  ? 

Tm  poisoned." 

But,  after  drinking  an  herbal  draught,  concocted  by 
our  host,  and  eating  a  light  meal  at  noon,  he  felt  much 
better ;  so  much  so,  that  he  declared  himself  ready  to 
continue  our  journey. 

When  we  came  to  start,  the  Yankee's  boots  were  miss- 
ing ;  and  after  a  diligent  search,  were  not  to  be  found. 
Enraged  beyond  measure,  their  proprietor  said  that 
Varvy  must  have  stolen  them ;  but,  considering  his  hos- 
pitality, I  thought  this  extremely  inprobable,  though 
to  whom  else  to  impute  the  theft  I  knew  not.  The  doc- 
tor maintained,  however,  that  one  who  was  capable  of 
drugging  an  innocent  traveller  with  "  Arva  Tee  "  was 
capable  of  anything. 

But  it  was  in  vain  that  he  stormed,  and  Varvy  and  I 
searched  ;  the  boots  were  gone. 


OUR   RECEPTION  IN  PARTOOWYE.  317 

Were  it  not  for  this  mysterious  occurrence,  and 
Varvy's  detestable  liquors,  I  would  here  recommend 
all  travellers  going  round  by  the  beach  to  Partoowye  to 
stop  at  the  Rock  and  patronize  the  old  gentleman  —  the 
more  especially  as  he  entertains  gratis. 


-+  rrfcX 


CHAPTER   lIxIIL 

OUR   RECEPTION   EST  PARTOOWYE. 

Upon  starting,  at  last,  I  flung  away  my  sandals  —  by 
this  time  quite  worn  out  —  with  the  view  of  keeping 
company  with  the  doctor,  now  forced  to  go  barefooted. 
Recovering  his  spirits  in  good  time,  he  protested  that 
boots  were  a  bore  after  all,  and  going  without  them  de- 
cidely  manly. 

This  was  said,  be  it  observed,  while  strolling  along 
over  a  soft  carpet  of  grass ;  a  little  moist,  even  at  mid- 
day, from  the  shade  of  the  wood  through  which  we  were 
passing. 

Emerging  from  this,  we  entered  upon  a  blank,  sandy 
tract,  upon  which  the  sun's  rays  fairly  flashed ;  making 
the  loose  gravel  under  foot  well-nigh  as  hot  as  the  floor 
of  an  oven.  Such  yelling  and  leaping  as  there  was  in 
getting  over  this  ground  would  be  hard  to  surpass.  We 
could  not  have  crossed  at  all  —  until  towards  sunset  — 
had  it  not  been  for  a  few  small,  wiry  bushes,  growing 
here  and  there  ;  into  which  we  every  now  and  then 
thrust  our  feet  to  cool.  There  was  no  little  judgment 
necessary  in  selecting  your  bush  ;  for  if  not  chosen  judi- 
ciously, the  chances  were,  that  on  springing  forward 
again,  and  finding  the  next  bush  so  far  off  that  an  inter- 


318  omoo. 

mediate  cooling  was  indispensable,  you  would  have  to 
run  back  to  your  old  place  again. 

Safely  passing  the  Sahara,  or  Fiery  Desert,  we  soothed 
our  half-blistered  feet  by  a  pleasant  walk  through  a 
meadow  of  long  grass,  which  soon  brought  us  in  sight 
of  a  few  straggling  houses,  sheltered  by  a  grove  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  village  of  Partoowye. 

My  comrade  was  for  entering  the  first  one  we  came 
to ;  but,  on  drawing  near,  they  had  so  much  an  air  of 
pretension,  at  least  for  native  dwellings,  that  I  hesitated; 
thinking  they  might  be  the  residences  of  the  higher 
chiefs,  from  whom  no  very  extravagant  welcome  was  to 
be  anticipated. 

While  standing  irresolute,  a  voice  from  the  nearest 
house  hailed  us  :  "  Aramai !  aramai,  karhowree !  " 
("  Come  in  !  come  in,  strangers  !  ") 

We  at  once  entered,  and  were  warmly  greeted.  The 
master  of  the  house  was  an  aristocratic-looking  islander; 
dressed  in  loose  linen  drawers,  a  fine  white  shirt,  and  a 
sash  of  red  silk  tied  about  the  waist,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  Spaniards  in  Chili.  He  came  up  to  us  with  a  free, 
frank  air,  and,  striking  his  chest  with  his  hand,  intro- 
duced himself  as  Ereemear  Po-Po ;  or  to  render  the 
Christian  name  back  again  into  English  —  Jeremiah  Po- 
Po. 

These  curious  combinations  of  names,  among  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Society  Islands,  originate  in  the  following 
way.  When  a  native  is  baptized,  his  patronymic  often 
gives  offence  to  the  missionaries,  and  they  insist  upon 
changing  to  something  else  whatever  is  objectionable 
therein.  So,  when  Jeremiah  came  to  the  font,  and  gave 
his  name  as  Narmo-Nana  Po-Po  (something  equivalent 
to  The-Darer-of-Devils-by-Night),  the,  reverend  gentle- 
man officiating  told  him  that  such  a  heathenish  appella* 


OUR  RECEPTION  IN  PARTOOWYE.  319 

tion  would  never  do,  and  a  substitute  must  be  had ;  at 
least  for  the  devil  part  of  it.  Some  highly  respectable 
Christian  appellations  were  then  submitted,  from  which 
the  candidate  for  admission  into  the  church  was  at  lib- 
erty to  choose.  There  was  Adamo  (Adam),  Nooar 
(Noah),  Daveedar  (David),  Earcobar  (James),  Eorna 
(John),  Patoora  (Peter),  Ereemear  (Jeremiah),  etc. 
And  thus  did  he  come  to  be  named  Jeremiah  Po-Po  ;  or 
Jeremiah-in-the-Dark  — which  he  certainly  was,  I  fancy, 
as  to  the  ridiculousness  of  his  new  cogomen. 

We  gave  our  names  in  return ;  upon  which  he  bade 
us  be  seated ;  and  sitting  down  himself,  asked  us  a  great 
many  questions,  in  mixed  English  and  Tahitian.  After 
giving  some  directions  to  an  old  man  to  prepare  food, 
our  host's  wife,  a  large,  benevolent-looking  women,  up- 
wards of  forty,  also  sat  down  by  us.  In  our  soiled  and 
travel-stained  appearance,  the  good  lady  seemed  to  find 
abundant  matter  for  commiseration ;  and  all  the  while 
kept  looking  at  us  piteously,  and  making  mournful  ex- 
clamations. 

But  Jeremiah  and  his  spouse  were  not  the  only  inmates 
of  the  mansion. 

In  one  corner,  upon  a  large  native  couch,  elevated 
upon  posts,  reclined  a  nymph ;  who,  half- veiled  in  her 
own  long  hair,  had  yet  to  make  her  toilet  for  the  day. 
She  was  the  only  daughter  of  Po-Po  ;  and  a  very  beau- 
tiful little  daughter  she  was ;  not  more  than  fourteen  ; 
with  the  most  delightful  shape  —  like  a  bud  just  blown ; 
and  large  hazel  eyes.  They  called  her  Loo :  a  name 
rather  pretty  and  genteel,  and,  therefore,  quite  appropri- 
ate ;  for  a  more  genteel  and  lady-like  little  damsel  there 
was  not  in  all  Imeeo. 

She  was  a  cold  and  haughty  young  beauty  though,  this 
game  little  Loo,  and  never  deigned  to  notice  us ;  further 


320  omoo. 

than  now  and  then  to  let  her  eyes  float  over  our  persons, 
with  an  expression  of  indolent  indifference.  With  the 
tears  of  the  Loohooloo  girls  hardly  dry  from  their  sob- 
bing upon  our  shoulders,  this  contemptuous  treatment 
stung  us  not  a  little. 

When  we  first  entered,  Po-Po  was  raking  smooth  the 
carpet  of  dried  ferns  which  had  that  morning  been  newly 
laid ;  and  now  that  our  meal  was  ready,  it  was  spread 
on  a  banana  leaf,  right  upon  this  fragrant  floor.  Here 
we  lounged  at  our  ease ;  eating  baked  pig  and  bread- 
fruit off  earthen  plates,  and  using,  for  the  first  time  in 
many  a  long  month,  real  knives  and  forks. 

These,  as  well  as  other  symptoms  of  refinement,  some- 
what abated  our  surprise  at  the  reserve  of  the  little  Loo : 
her  parents,  doubtless,  were  magnates  in  Partoowye,  and 
she  herself  was  an  heiress. 

After  being  informed  of  our  stay  in  the  vale  of  Mar- 
tair,  they  were  very  curious  to  know  on  what  errand  we 
came  to  Taloo.  We  merely  hinted,  that  the  ship  lying 
in  the  harbour  was  the  reason  of  our  coming. 

Arfretee,  Po-Po's  wife,  was  a  right  motherly  body. 
The  meal  over,  she  recommended  a  nap;  and  upon  our 
waking  much  refreshed,  she  led  us  to  the  doorway,  and 
pointed  down  among  the  trees ;  through  which  we  saw 
the  gleam  of  water.  Taking  the  hint,  we  repaired 
thither ;  and  finding  a  deep  shady  pool,  bathed,  and  re- 
turned to  the  house.  Our  hostess  now  sat  down  by  us  ; 
and  after  looking  with  great  interest  at  the  doctor's 
cloak,  felt  of  my  own  soiled  and  tattered  garments  for 
the  hundredth  time,  and  exclaimed  plaintively  —  "Ah 
nuee  nuee  olee  manee !  olee  manee ! "  (Alas !  they  are 
very,  very  old !  very  old !) 

When  Arfretee,  good  soul,  thus  addressed  us,  she 
thought  she  was  talking  very  respectable  English.     The 


OUR  RECEPTION  IN  PARTOOWYE.  321 

word  "  nuee "  is  so  familiar  to  foreigners  throughout 
Polynesia,  and  is  so  often  used  by  them  in  their  inter- 
course with  the  natives,  that  the  latter  suppose  it  to  be 
common  to  all  mankind.  "  Olee  manee  "  is  the  native 
pronunciation  of  "  old  mans"  which,  by  Society  Islanders 
talking  Saxon,  is  applied  indiscriminately  to  all  aged 
things  and  persons  whatsoever. 

Going  to  a  chest  filled  with  various  European  articles, 
she  took  out  two  suits  of  new  sailor  frocks  and  trousers ; 
and  presenting  them  with  a  gracious  smile,  pushed  us 
behind  a  calico  screen,  and  left  us.  Without  any  fas- 
tidious scruples,  we  donned  the  garments ;  and  what 
with  the  meal,  the  nap,  and  the  bath,  we  now  came  forth 
like  a  couple  of  bridegrooms. 

Evening  drawing  on,  lamps  were  lighted.  They  were 
very  simple  :  the  half  of  a  green  melon,  about  one-third 
full  of  cocoa-nut  oil,  and  a  wick  of  twisted  tappa  floating 
on  the  surface.  As  a  night  lamp,  this  contrivance  can- 
not be  excelled ;  a  soft  dreamy  light  being  shed  through 
the  transparent  rind. 

As  the  evening  advanced,  other  members  of  the  house- 
hold, whom  as  yet  we  had  not  seen,  began  to  drop  in. 
There  was  a  slender  young  dandy  in  a  gay  striped  shirt, 
and  whole  fathoms  of  bright  figured  calico  tucked  about 
his  waist,  and  falling  to  the  ground.  He  wore  a  new 
straw  hat,  also,  with  three  distinct  ribbons  tied  about 
the  crown ;  one  black,  one  green,  and  one  pink.  Shoes 
or  stockings,  however,  he  had  none. 

There  were  a  couple  of  delicate,  olive-cheeked  little 
girls  —  twins — with  mild  eyes  and  beautiful  hair,  who 
ran  about  the  house,  half-naked,  like  a  couple  of  gazelles. 
They  had  a  brother,  somewhat  younger  —  a  fine  dark 
boy,  with  an  eye  like  a  woman's.  All  these  were  the 
children  of  Po-Po,  begotten  in  lawful  wedlock 


322  omoo. 

Then  there  were  two  or  three  queer-looking  old  ladies, 
who  wore  shabby  mantles  of  soiled  sheeting ;  which 
fitted  so  badly,  and  withal  had  such  a  second-hand  look, 
that  I  at  once  put  their  wearers  down  as  domestic 
paupers — poor  relations,  supported  by  the  bounty  of 
my  lady  Arfretee.  They  were  sad,  meek  old  bodies ; 
said  little  and  ate  less  ;  and  either  kept  their  eyes  on 
the  ground,  or  lifted  them  up  deferentially.  The  semi- 
civilisation  of  the  island  must  have  had  something  to  do 
with  making  them  what  they  were. 

I  had  almost  forgotten  Monee,  the  grinning  old  man 
who  prepared  our  meal.  His  head  was  a  shining,  bald 
globe.  He  had  a  round  little  paunch,  and  legs  like  a  cat. 
He  was  Po-Po's  factotum  —  cook,  butler,  and  climber  of 
the  bread-fruit  and  cocoa-nut  trees ;  and,  added  to  all 
else,  a  mighty  favourite  with  his  mistress ;  with  whom 
he  would  sit  smoking  and  gossiping  by  the  hour. 

Often  you  saw  the  indefatigable  Monee  working  away 
at  a  great  rate ;  then  dropping  his  employment  all  at 
once  —  never  mind  what  —  run  off  to  a  little  distance, 
and  after  rolling  himself  away  in  a  corner,  and  taking  a 
nap,  jump  up  again,  and  fall  to  with  fresh  vigour. 

From  a  certain  something  in  the  behaviour  of  Po-Po 
and  his  household,  I  was  led  to  believe  that  he  was  a 
pillar  of  the  church  ;  though,  from  what  I  had  seen  in 
Tahiti,  I  could  hardly  reconcile  such  a  supposition  with 
his  frank,  cordial,  unembarrassed  air.  But  I  was  not 
wrong  in  my  conjecture :  Po-Po  turned  out  to  be  a  sort 
of  elder,  or  deacon  ;  he  was  also  accounted  a  man  of 
wealth,  and  was  nearly  related  to  a  high  chief. 

Before  retiring,  the  entire  household  gathered  upon 
the  floor ;  and  in  their  midst,  he  read  aloud  a  chapter 
from  a  Tahitian  Bible.  Then,  kneeling  with  the  rest  of 
us,  he  offered  up  a  prayer.     Upon  its  conclusion,  all 


RETIRING  FOR   THE  NIGHT.  323 

separated  without  speaking.  These  devotions  took  place 
regularly  every  night  and  morning.  Grace,  too,  was 
invariably  said  by  this  family  both  before  and  after 
eating. 

After  becoming  familiarised  with  the  almost  utter 
destitution  of  anything  like  practical  piety  upon  these 
islands,  what  I  observed  in  our  host's  house  astonished 
me  much.  But  whatever  others  might  have  been,  Po-Po 
was,  in  truth,  a  Christian :  the  only  one,  Arfretee  ex- 
cepted, whom  I  personally  knew  to  be  such,  among  all 
the  natives  of  Polynesia. 


CHAPTER   LXXIV. 

RETIRING     FOR      THE     NIGHT.  —  THE     DOCTOR     GROWS 
DEVOUT. 

They  put  us  to  bed  very  pleasantly. 

Lying  across  the  foot  of  Po-Po's  nuptial  couch  was  a 
smaller  one,  made  of  Koar-wood ;  a  thin,  strong  cord, 
twisted  from  the  fibres  of  the  husk  of  the  cocoa-nut,  and 
woven  into  an  exceedingly  light  sort  of  net-work,  form- 
ing its  elastic  body.  Spread  upon  this  was  a  single,  fine 
mat,  with  a  roll  of  dried  ferns  for  a  pillow,  and  a  strip 
of  white  tappa  for  a  sheet.  This  couch  was  mine.  The 
doctor  was  provided  for  in  another  corner. 

Loo  reposed  alone  on  a  little  settee,  with  a  taper 
burning  by  her  side  ;  the  dandy,  her  brother,  swinging 
overhead  in  a  sailor's  hammock.  The  two  gazelles 
frisked  upon  a  mat  near  by  ;  and  the  indigent  relations 
borrowed  a  scant  corner  of  the  old  butler's  pallet,  who 
snored  away  by  the  open  door.     After  all  had  retired, 


324  omoo. 

Po-Po  placed  the  illuminated  melon  in  the  middle  of 
the  apartment ;  and  so,  we  all  slumbered  till  morning. 

Upon  awaking,  the  sun  was  streaming  brightly  through 
the  open  bamboos,  but  no  one  was  stirring.  After  sur- 
veying the  fine  attitudes,  into  which  forgetfulness  had 
thrown  at  least  one  of  the  sleepers,  my  attention  was 
called  off  to  the  general  aspect  of  the  dwelling,  which 
was  quite  significant  of  the  superior  circumstances  of 
our  host. 

The  house  itself  was  built  in  the  simple,  but  tasteful 
native  style.  It  was  a  long,  regular  oval,  some  fifty  feet 
in  length,  with  low  sides  of  cane-work,  and  a  roof 
thatched  with  palmetto  leaves.  The  ridge-pole  was  per- 
haps twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  There  was  no  foun- 
dation whatever ;  the  bare  earth  being  merely  covered 
with  ferns  :  a  kind  of  carpeting  which  serves  very  well, 
if  frequently  renewed ;  otherwise,  it  becomes  dusty,  and 
the  haunt  of  vermin,  as  it  is  in  the  huts  of  the  poorer 
natives. 

Beside  the  couches,  the  furniture  consisted  of  three 
or  four  sailor  chests ;  in  which  were  stored  the  fine 
wearing-apparel  of  the  household  —  the  ruffled  linen 
shirts  of  Po-Po,  the  calico  dresses  of  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, and  divers  odds  and  ends  of  European  articles  — 
strings  of  beads,  ribbons,  Dutch  looking-glasses,  knives, 
coarse  prints,  bunches  of  keys,  bits  of  crockery,  and 
metal  buttons.  One  of  these  chests  —  used  as  a  bandbox 
by  Arf  re  tee  —  contained  several  of  the  native  hats  (coal- 
scuttles), all  of  the  same  pattern,  but  trimmed  with  va- 
riously coloured  ribbons.  Of  nothing  was  our  good 
hostess  more  proud  than  of  these  hats,  and  her  dresses. 
On  Sundays,  she  went  abroad  a  dozen  times  ;  and  every 
time,  like  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  a  different  robe. 

Po-Po,  for  some   reason   or   other,    always   gave   us 


BETIRING  FOR   THE  NIGHT.  325 

our  meals  before  the  rest  of  the  family  were  served  ;  and 
the  doctor,  who  was  very  discerning  in  such  matters, 
declared  that  we  fared  much  better  than  they.  Certain 
it  was,  that  had  Ereemear's  guests  travelled  with  purses, 
portmanteaux,  and  letters  of  introduction  to  the  queen, 
they  could  not  have  been  better  cared  for. 

The  day  after  our  arrival,  Monee,  the  old  butler, 
brought  us  in  for  dinner  a  small  pig,  baked  in  the 
ground.  All  savoury,  it  lay  in  a  wooden  trencher,  sur- 
rounded by  roasted  hemispheres  of  the  bread-fruit.  A 
large  calabash,  filled  with  taro  pudding,  or  poee,  fol- 
lowed ;  and  the  young  dandy,  overcoming  his  customary 
languor,  threw  down  our  cocoa-nuts  from  an  adjoining 
tree. 

When  all  was  ready,  and  the  household  looking  on, 
Long  Ghost,  devoutly  clasping  his  hands  over  the  fated 
pig,  implored  a  blessing.  Hereupon  everybody  present 
looked  exceedingly  pleased  ;  Po-Po  coming  up,  and  ad- 
dressing the  doctor  with  much  warmth;  and  Arfretee, 
regarding  him  with  almost  maternal  affection,  exclaimed 
delightedly,  "Ah!  mickonaree  tata  maitai ! "  in  other 
words,  "  What  a  pious  young  man !  " 

It  was  just  after  this  meal,  that  she  brought  me  a  roll 
of  grass  sinnate  (of  the  kind  which  sailors  sew  into  the 
frame  of  their  tarpaulins),  and  then,  handing  me  a  needle 
and  thread,  bade  me  begin  at  once,  and  make  myself 
the  hat  which  I  so  much  needed.  An  accomplished 
hand  at  the  business,  I  finished  it  that  day  —  merely 
stitching  the  braid  together ;  and  Arfretee,  by  way  of 
rewarding  my  industry,  with  her  own  olive  hands  orna- 
mented the  crown  with  a  band  of  flame-coloured  ribbon, 
the  two  long  ends  of  which,  streaming  behind,  sailor- 
fashion,  still  preserved  for  me  the  Eastern  title  bestowed 
by  Long  Ghost. 


326  omoo. 

CHAPTER   LXXV. 

A  RAMBLE   THROUGH   THE   SETTLEMENT. 

The  following  morning,  making  our  toilets  carefully, 
we  donned  our  sombreros,  and  sallied  out  on  a  tour. 
Without  meaning  to  reveal  our  designs  upon  the  court, 
our  principal  object  was,  to  learn  what  chances  there 
were  for  white  men  to  obtain  employment  under  the 
queen.  On  this  head,  it  is  true,  we  had  questioned 
Po-Po;  but  his  answers  had  been  very  discouraging; 
so  we  determined  to  obtain  further  information  else- 
where. 

But  first,  to  give  some  little  description  of  the 
village. 

The  settlement  of  Partoowye  is  nothing  more  than 
some  eighty  houses,  scattered  here  and  there,  in  the 
midst  of  an  immense  grove,  where  the  trees  have  been 
thinned  out,  and  the  underbrush  cleared  away.  Through 
the  grove  flows  a  stream ;  and  the  principal  avenue 
crosses  it,  over  an  elastic  bridge  of  cocoa-nut  trunks, 
laid  together  side  by  side.  The  avenue  is  broad  and 
serpentine ;  well  shaded,  from  one  end  to  the  other ; 
and  as  pretty  a  place  for  a  morning  promenade  as  any 
lounger  could  wish.  The  houses,  constructed  without 
the  slightest  regard  to  the  road,  peep  into  view  from 
among  the  trees  on  either  side  ;  some  looking  you  right 
in  the  face  as  you  pass,  and  others,  without  any  man- 
ners, turning  their  backs.  Occasionally,  you  observe  a 
rural  retreat,  enclosed  by  a  picket  of  bamboos,  or  with 
a  solitary  pane  of  glass  massively  framed  in  the  broad- 
side of  the   dwelling,  or  with  a  rude,  strange-looking 


A   RAMBLE  THROUGH  THE  SETTLEMENT.         327 

door,  swinging  upon  dislocated  wooden  hinges.  Other- 
wise, the  dwellings  are  built  in  the  original  style  of  the 
natives ;  and,  never  mind  how  mean  and  filthy  some  of 
them  may  appear  within,  they  all  look  picturesque 
enough  without. 

As  we  sauntered  along,  the  people  we  met  saluted  us 
pleasantly,  and  invited  us  into  their  houses  ;  and  in  this 
way  we  made  a  good  many  brief  morning  calls.  But 
the  hour  could  not  have  been  the  fashionable  one  in 
Partoowye ;  since  the  ladies  were  invariably  in  disha- 
bille. However,  they  in  all  cases  gave  us  a  cordial 
reception,  and  were  particularly  polite  to  the  doctor ; 
caressing  him,  and  amorously  hanging  about  his  neck ; 
wonderfully  taken  up,  in  short,  with  a  gay  handkerchief 
he  wore  there.  Arfretee  had  that  morning  bestowed  it 
upon  the  pious  youth. 

With  some  exceptions,  the  general  appearance  of  the 
natives  of  Partoowye  was  far  better  than  that  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Papeetee :  a  circumstance  only  to  be 
imputed  to  their  restricted  intercourse  with  foreign- 
ers. 

Strolling  on,  we  turned  a  sweep  of  the  road,  when 
the  doctor  gave  a  start ;  and  no  wonder.  Right  before 
us,  in  the  grove,  was  a  block  of  houses  :  regular  square 
frames,  boarded  over,  furnished  with  windows  and  door- 
ways, and  two  stories  high.  We  ran  up,  and  found 
them  fast  going  to  decay  ;  very  dingy,  and  here  and 
there  covered  with  moss  ;  no  sashes  nor  doors  ;  and  on 
one  side,  the  entire  block  had  settled  down  nearly  a 
foot.  On  going  into  the  basement,  we  looked  clean  up 
through  the  unboarded  timbers  to  the  roof ;  where  rays 
of  light,  glimmering  through  many  a  chink,  illuminated 
the  cobwebs  which  swung  all  round. 

The  whole  interior  was  dark  and  close.     Burrowing 


328  omoo. 

among  some  old  mats  in  one  corner,  like  a  parcel  of 
gypsies  in  a  ruin,  were  a  few  vagabond  natives.  They 
had  their  dwelling  here. 

Curious  to  know  who  on  earth  could  have  been  thus 
trying  to  improve  the  value  of  real  estate  in  Partoowye, 
we  made  inquiries ;  and  learned  that  some  years  pre- 
vious, the  block  had  been  thrown  up  by  a  verit- 
able Yankee  (one  might  have  known  that),  a  house 
carpenter  by  trade,  and  a  bold  enterprising  fellow  by 
nature. 

Put  ashore  from  his  ship,  sick,  he  first  went  to  work 
and  got  well ;  then  sallied  out  with  chisel  and  plane, 
and  made  himself  generally  useful.  A  sober,  steady 
man,  it  seems,  he  at  last  obtained  the  Confidence  of 
several  chiefs,  and  soon  filled  them  with  all  sorts  of 
ideas  concerning  the  alarming  want  of  public  spirit  in 
the  people  of  Imeeo.  More  especially  did  he  dwell 
upon  the  humiliating  fact  of  their  living  in  paltry  huts 
of  bamboo,  when  magnificent  palaces  of  boards  might 
so  be  easily  morticed  together. 

In  the  end,  these  representations  so  far  prevailed  with 
one  old  chief,  that  the  carpenter  was  engaged  to  build  a 
batch  of  these  wonderful  palaces.  Provided  with 
plenty  of  men,  he  at  once  set  to  work ;  built  a  saw-mill 
among  the  mountains,  felled  trees,  and  sent  over  to 
Papeetee  for  nails. 

Presto  !  the  castle  rose  ;  but  alas,  the  roof  was  hardly 
on,  when  the  Yankee's  patron,  having  speculated  be- 
yond his  means,  broke  all  to  pieces,  and  was  absolutely 
unable  to  pay  one  "  plug "  of  tobacco  in  the  pound. 
His  failure  involved  the  carpenter,  who  sailed  away 
from  his  creditors  in  the  very  next  ship  that  touched  at 
the  harbour. 

The  natives  despised  the  rickety  palace  of  boards; 


A  RAMBLE  THROUGH  THE  SETTLEMENT.         329 

and  often  lounged  by,  wagging  their  heads,  and  jeer- 
ing. 

We  were  told  that  the  queen's  residence  was  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  village  ;  so,  without  waiting  for  the 
doctor  to  procure  a  fiddle,  we  suddenly  resolved  upon 
going  thither  at  once,  and  learning  whether  any  privy 
councillorships  were  vacant. 

Now,  although  there  was  a  good  deal  of  my  waggish 
comrade's  nonsense  about  what  has  been  said  concern- 
ing our  expectations  of  court  preferment,  we,  neverthe- 
less, really  thought  that  something  to  our  advantage 
might  turn  up  in  that  quarter. 

On  approaching  the  palace  grounds,  we  found  them 
rather  peculiar.  A  broad  pier  of  hewn  coral  rocks  was 
built  right  out  into  the  water ;  and  upon  this,  and 
extending  into  a  grove  adjoining,  were  some  eight  or 
ten  very  large  native  houses,  constructed  in  the  hand- 
somest style,  and  enclosed  together  by  a  low  picket  of 
bamboos,  which  embraced  a  considerable  area. 

Throughout  the  Society  Islands,  the  residences  of 
the  chiefs  are  mostly  found  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  sea ;  a  site  which  gives  them  the  full  benefit  of  a 
cooling  breeze  ;  nor  are  they  so  liable  to  the  annoyance 
of  insects ;  besides  enjoying  when  they  please  the  fine 
shade  afforded  by  the  neighbouring  groves,  always  most 
luxuriant  near  the  water. 

Lounging  about  the  grounds  were  some  sixty  or 
eighty  handsomely  dressed  natives,  men  and  women  ; 
some  reclining  on  the  shady  side  of  the  houses,  others 
under  the  trees,  and  a  small  group  conversing  close  by 
the  railing,  facing  us. 

We  went  up  to  the  latter;  and  giving  the  usual 
salutation,  were  on  the  point  of  vaulting  over  the 
bamboos,  when  they  turned  upon  us   angrily,  and  said 


330  omoo. 

we  could  not  enter.  We  stated  our  earnest  desire  to 
see  the  queen ;  hinting  that  we  were  bearers  of  impor- 
tant dispatches.  But  it  was  to  no  purpose ;  and  not 
a  little  vexed,  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  Po-Po's 
without  effecting  anything. 


CHAPTER   LXXVI. 

AN  ISLAND  JILT.  —  WE   VISIT    THE    SHIP. 

Upon  arriving  home,  we  fully  laid  open  to  Po-Po  our 
motives  in  visiting  Taloo,  and  begged  his  friendly  ad- 
vice. In  his  broken  English,  he  cheerfully  gave  us  all 
the  information  we  needed. 

It  was  true,  he  said,  that  the  queen  entertained  some 
idea  of  making  a  stand  against  the  French;  and  it 
was  currently  reported,  also,  that  several  chiefs  from 
Borabora,  Huwyenee,  Raiatair,  and  Tahar,  the  lee- 
ward islands  of  the  group,  were  at  that  very  time  tak- 
ing counsel  with  her,  as  to  the  expediency  of  organising 
a  general  movement  throughout  the  entire  cluster,  with 
a  view  of  anticipating  any  further  encroachments  on  the 
part  of  the  invaders.  Should  warlike  measures  be  actu- 
ally decided  upon,  it  was  quite  certain  that  Pomaree 
would  be  glad  to  enlist  all  the  foreigners  she  could ;  but 
as  to  her  making  officers  of  either  the  doctor  or  me,  that 
was  out  of  the  question ;  because,  already,  a  number  of 
Europeans,  well  known  to  her,  had  volunteered  as  such. 
Concerning  our  getting  immediate  access  to  the  queen, 
Po-Po  told  us  it  was  rather  doubtful ;  she  living  at  that 
time  very  retired,  in  poor  health  and  spirits,  and  averse 


AN  ISLAND  JILT.  331 

to  receiving  calls.  Previous  to  her  misfortunes,  how- 
ever, no  one,  however  humble,  was  denied  admittance  to 
her  presence ;  sailors,  even,  attended  her  levees. 

Not  at  all  disheartened  by  these  things,  we  concluded 
to  kill  time  in  Partoowye,  until  some  event  turned  up 
more  favourable  to  our  projects.  So  that  very  day  we 
sallied  out  on  an  excursion  to  the  ship,  which,  lying 
land-locked,  far  up  the  bay,  yet  remained  to  be  visited. 

Passing,  on  our  route,  a  long,  low  shed,  a  voice  hailed 
us  —  "  White  men,  ahoy  !  "  Turning  round,  who  should 
we  see  but  a  rosy-cheeked  Englishman  (you  could  tell 
his  country  at  a  glance),  up  to  his  knees  in  shavings, 
and  planing  away  at  a  bench.  He  turned  out  to  be  a 
runaway  ship's  carpenter,  recently  from  Tahiti,  and  now 
doing  a  profitable  business  in  Imeeo,  by  fitting  up  the 
dwellings  of  opulent  chiefs  with  cupboards  and  other 
conveniences,  and  once  in  a  while  trying  his  hand  at  a 
lady's  work-box.  He  had  been  in  the  settlement  but  a 
few  months,  and  already  possessed  houses  and  lands. 

But  though  blessed  with  prosperity  and  high  health, 
there  was  one  thing  wanting  —  a  wife.  And  when  he 
came  to  speak  of  the  matter,  his  countenance  fell,  and 
he  leaned  dejectedly  upon  his  plane. 

"  It's  too  bad !  "  he  sighed,  "  to  wait  three  long  years ; 
and  all  the  while  dear  little  Lullee  living  in  the  same 
house  with  that  infernal  chief  from  Tahar !  " 

Our  curiosity  was  piqued ;  the  poor  carpenter,  then, 
had  been  falling  in  love  with  some  island  coquette,  who 
was  going  to  jilt  him. 

But  such  was  not  the  case.  There  was  a  law  prohib- 
iting, under  a  heavy  penalty,  the  marriage  of  a  native 
with  a  foreigner,  unless  the  latter,  after  being  three 
years  a  resident  on  the  island,  was  willing  to  affirm  his 
settled  intention  of  remaining  for  life. 


332  omoo. 

William  was  therefore  in  a  sad  way.  He  told  us  that 
he  might  have  married  the  girl  half-a-dozen  times,  had  it 
not  been  for  this  odious  law  ;  but,  latterly,  she  had  be* 
come  less  loving  and  more  giddy,  particularly  with  the 
strangers  from  Tahar.  Desperately  smitten,  and  de- 
sirous of  securing  her  at  all  hazards,  he  had  proposed  to 
the  damsel's  friends  a  nice  little  arrangement,  introduc- 
tory to  marriage;  but  they  would  not  hear  of  it;  be- 
sides, if  the  pair  were  discovered  living  together  upon 
such  a  footing,  they  would  be  liable  to  a  degrading  pun- 
ishment,— sent  to  work  making  stone  walls  and  opening 
roads  for  the  queen. 

Doctor  Long  Ghost  was  all  sympathy.  "  Bill,  my 
good  fellow,"  said  he,  tremulously,  "  let  me  go  and  talk 
to  her."  But  Bill,  declining  the  offer,  would  not  even 
inform  us  where  his  charmer  lived. 

Leaving  the  disconsolate  Willie  planing  a  plank  of 
New  Zealand  pine  (an  importation  from  the  Bay  of 
Islands),  and  thinking  the  while  of  Lullee,  we  went  on 
our  way.  How  his  suit  prospered  in  the  end,  we  never 
learned. 

Going  from  Po-Po's  house  towards  the  anchorage  of 
the  harbour  of  Taloo,  you  catch  no  glimpse  of  the  water, 
until  coming  out  from  deep  groves,  you  all  at  once  find 
yourself  upon  the  beach.  A  bay,  considered  by  many 
voyagers  the  most  beautiful  in  the  South  Seas,  then  lies 
before  you.  You  stand  upon  one  side  of  what  seems  a 
deep,  green  river,  flowing  through  mountain  passes  to 
the  sea.  Right  opposite,  a  majestic  promontory  divides 
the  inlet  from  another,  called  after  its  discoverer,  Cap- 
tain Cook.  The  face  of  this  promontory  toward  Taloo 
is  one  verdant  wall ;  and  at  its  base  the  waters  lie  still, 
and  fathomless.  On  the  left  hand,  you  just  catch  a  peep 
of  the  widening  mouth  of  the  bay,  the  break  in  the  reef 


AN  ISLAND  JILT.  333 

by  which  ships  enter,  and  beyond,  the  sea.  To  the 
right,  the  inlet,  sweeping  boldly  round  the  promontory, 
runs  far  away  into  the  land ;  where,  save  in  one  direc- 
tion, the  hills  close  in  on  every  side,  knee-deep  in  ver- 
dure, and  shooting  aloft  in  grotesque  peaks.  The  open 
space  lies  at  the  head  of  the  bay;  in  the  distance  it 
extends  into  a  broad,  hazy  plain  lying  at  the  foot  of  an 
amphitheatre  of  hills.  Here  is  the  large  sugar  planta- 
tion previously  alluded  to.  Beyond  the  first  range  of 
hills,  you  descry  the  sharp  pinnacles  of  the  interior ;  and 
among  these,  the  same  silent  Marling-spike  which  we  so 
often  admired  from  the  other  side  of  the  island. 

All  alone  in  the  harbour  lay  the  good  ship  Leviathan. 
We  jumped  into  the  canoe,  and  paddled  off  to  her. 
Though  early  in  the  afternoon,  everything  was  quiet; 
but  upon  mounting  the  side,  we  found  four  or  five 
sailors  lounging  about  the  forecastle,  under  an  awning. 
They  gave  us  no  very  cordial  reception ;  and  though 
otherwise  quite  hearty  in  appearance,  seemed  to  assume 
a  look  of  ill-humour  on  purpose  to  honour  our  arrival. 
There  was  much  eagerness  to  learn  whether  we  wanted 
to  "ship" ;  and  by  the  unpleasant  accounts  they  gave  of 
the  vessel,  they  seemed  desirous  to  prevent  such  a  thing, 
if  possible. 

We  asked  where  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company  were ; 
a  gruff  old  fellow  made  answer,  "  One  boat's  crew  of 
'em  is  gone  to  Davy  Jones's  locker :  —  went  off  after  a 
whale,  last  cruise,  and  never  came  back  agin.  All  the 
starboard  watch  •  ran  away  last  night,  and  the  skipper's 
ashore  kitching  'em." 

"  And  it's  shipping  yer  after,  my  jewels,  is  it  ?  "  cried 
a  curly-pated  little  Belfast  sailor,  coming  up  to  us, 
"  thin  arrah !  my  livelies,  jist  be  after  sailing  ashore  in 
a  jiffy  :  —  the  devil  of  a  skipper  will  carry  yees  both  to 


334  omoo. 

sea,  whether  or  no.  Be  off  wid  ye,  thin,  darlints,  and 
steer  clear  of  the  likes  of  this  ballyhoo  of  blazes  as  long 
as  ye  live.  They  murther  us  here  every  day,  and  starve 
us  into  the  bargain.  Here,  Dick,  lad,  harl  the  poor  divils' 
canow  alongside  ;  and  paddle  away  wid  yees  for  dear 
life." 

But  we  loitered  awhile,  listening  to  more  inducements 
to  ship  ;  and  at  last  concluded  to  stay  to  supper.  My 
sheath-knife  never  cut  into  better  sea-beef  than  that 
which  we  found  lying  in  the  kid  in  the  forecastle.  The 
bread,  too,  was  hard,  dry,  and  brittle  as  glass ;  and  there 
was  plenty  of  both. 

While  we  were  below,  the  mate  of  the  vessel  called 
out  for  some  one  to  come  on  deck.  I  liked  his  voice. 
Hearing  it  was  as  good  as  a  look  at  his  face.  It  beto- 
kened a  true  sailor,  and  no  taskmaster. 

The  appearance  of  the  Leviathan  herself  was  quite 
pleasing.  Like  all  large,  comfortable  old  whalemen, 
she  had  a  sort  of  motherly  look :  —  broad  in  the  beam, 
flush  decks,  and  four  chubby  boats  hanging  at  the  breast. 
Her  sails  were  furled  loosely  upon  the  yards,  as  if  they 
had  been  worn  long,  and  fitted  easy ;  her  shrouds  swung 
negligently  slack  ;  and  as  for  the  "  running  rigging,"  it 
never  worked  hard  as  it  does  in  some  of  your  "  dandy 
ships,"  jamming  in  the  sheaves  of  blocks,  like  Chinese 
slippers,  too  small  to  be  useful ;  on  the  contrary,  the 
ropes  ran  glibly  through,  as  if  they  had  many  a  time 
travelled  the  same  road,  and  were  used  to  it. 

When  evening  came,  we  dropped  into  our  canoe,  and 
paddled  ashore ;  fully  convinced  that  the  good  ship 
never  deserved  the  name  which  they  gave  her. 


A  PARTY  OF  ROVERS.  335 

CHAPTER  LXXVII. 

A  PARTY  OF   ROVERS.  —  LITTLE  LOO   AND  THE  DOCTOR. 

While  in  Partoowye,  we  fell  in  with  a  band  of  six 
yeteran  rovers,  prowling  about  the  village  and  harbour, 
who  had  just  come  overland  from  another  part  of  the 
island. 

A  few  weeks  previous,  they  had  been  paid  off,  at 
Papeetee,  from  a  whaling  vessel,  on  board  of  which  they 
had,  six  months  before,  shipped  for  a  single  cruise  ;  that 
is  to  say,  to  be  discharged  at  the  next  port.  Their 
cruise  was  a  famous  one ;  and  each  man  stepped  upon 
the  beach  at  Tahiti,  jingling  his  dollars  in  a  sock. 

Weary  at  last  of  the  shore,  and  having  some  money 
left,  they  clubbed,  and  purchased  a  sail-boat ;  proposing 
a  visit  to  a  certain  uninhabited  island,  concerning  which 
they  had  heard  strange  and  golden  stories.  Of  course, 
they  never  could  think  of  going  to  sea  without  a  med- 
icine-chest filled  with  flasks  of  spirits,  and  a  small  cask 
of  the  same  in  the  hold,  in  case  the  chest  should  give 
out. 

Away  they  sailed ;  hoisted  a  flag  of  their  own,  and 
gave  three  times  three,  as  they  staggered  out  of  the  bay 
of  Papeetee  with  a  strong  breeze,  and  under  all  the 
"  muslin  "  they  could  carry. 

Evening  coming  on,  and  feeling  in  high  spirits,  and  no 
ways  disposed  to  sleep,  they  concluded  to  make  a  night 
of  it ;  which  they  did ;  all  hands  getting  tipsy,  and  the 
two  masts  going  over  the  side  about  midnight,  to  the 
tune  of 

"Sailing  down,  sailing  down, 
On  the  coast  of  Barbaree." 


336  omoo. 

Fortunately,  one  worthy  could  stand,  by  holding  on 
to  the  tiller  ;  and  the  rest  managed  to  crawl  about,  and 
hack  away  the  lanyards  of  the  rigging,  so  as  to  break 
clear  from  the  fallen  spars.  While  thus  employed,  two 
sailors  got  tranquilly  over  the  side,  and  went  plumb  to 
the  bottom ;  under  the  erroneous  impression,  that  they 
were  stepping  upon  a  wharf,  to  get  at  their  work  better. 

After  this,  it  blew  quite  a  gale ;  and  the  commodore, 
at  the  helm,  instinctively  kept  the  boat  before  the  wind; 
and  by  so  doing,  ran  over  for  the  opposite  island  of 
Imeeo.  Crossing  the  channel,  by  almost  a  miracle  they 
went  straight  through  an  opening  in  the  reef,  and  shot 
upon  a  ledge  of  coral,  where  the  waters  were  tolerably 
smooth.  Here  they  lay  until  morning,  when  the  natives 
came  off  to  them  in  their  canoes.  By  the  help  of  the 
islanders,  the  schooner  was  hove  over  on  her  beam-ends ; 
when,  finding  the  bottom  knocked  to  pieces,  the  adven- 
turers sold  the  boat  for  a  trifle  to  the  chief  of  the  dis- 
trict, and  went  ashore,  rolling  before  them  their  precious 
cask  of  spirits.  Its  contents  soon  evaporated,  and  they 
came  to  Partoowye. 

The  day  after  encountering  these  fellows,  we  were 
strolling  among  the  groves  in  the  neighbourhood,  when 
we  came  across  several  parties  of  natives,  armed  with 
clumsy  muskets,  rusty  cutlasses,  and  outlandish  clubs. 
They  were  beating  the  bushes,  shouting  aloud,  and 
apparently  trying  to  scare  somebody.  They  were  in 
pursuit  of  the  strangers,  who,  having  in  a  single  night 
set  at  naught  all  the  laws  of  the  place,  had  thought 
best  to  decamp. 

In  the  daytime,  Po-Po's  house  was  as  pleasant  a  lounge 
as  one  could  wish.  So,  after  strolling  about,  and  seeing 
all  there  was  to  be  seen,  we  spent  the  greater  part  of 
our  mornings  there ;  breakfasting  late,  and  dining  about 


A  PARTY  OF  ROVERS.  337 

two  hours  after  noon.  Sometimes  we  lounged  on  the 
floor  of  ferns,  smoking,  and  telling  stones  ;  of  which 
the  doctor  had  as  many  as  a  half-pay  captain  in  the 
army.  Sometimes  we  chatted,  as  well  as  we  could,  with 
the  natives  ;  and,  one  day — joy  to  us  !  —  Po-Po  brought 
in  three  volumes  of  Smollett's  novels,  which  had  been 
found  in  the  chest  of  a  sailor,  who  some  time  previous 
had  died  on  the  island. 

Amelia  !  —  Peregrine  !  —  you  hero  of  rogues,  Count 
Fathom,  —  what  a  debt  do  we  owe  you  ! 

I  know  not  whether  it  was  the  reading  of  these 
romances,  or  the  want  of  some  sentimental  pastime  which 
led  the  doctor,  about  this  period,  to  lay  siege  to  the 
heart  of  the  little  Loo. 

Now,  as  I  have  said  before,  the  daughter  of  Po-Po 
was  most  cruelly  reserved,  and  never  deigned  to  notice 
us.  Frequently  I  addressed  her  with  a  long  face  and  an 
air  of  the  profoundest  and  most  distant  respect  —  but  in 
vain  ;  she  wouldn't  even  turn  up  her  pretty  olive  nose. 
Ah  !  it's  quite  plain,  thought  I ;  she  knows  very  well 
what  graceless  dogs  sailors  are,  and  won't  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  us. 

But  thus  thought  not  my  comrade.  Bent  he  was 
upon  firing  the  cold  glitter  of  Loo's  passionless  eyes. 

He  opened  the  campaign  with  admirable  tact:  making 
cautious  approaches,  and  content,  for  three  days,  with 
ogling  the  nymph  for  about  five  minutes  after  every 
meal.  On  the  fourth  day,  he  asked  her  a  question  ;  on 
the  fifth  she  dropped  a  nut  of  ointment,  and  he  picked 
it  up  and  gave  it  to  her ;  on  the  sixth,  he  went  over  and 
sat  down  within  three  yards  of  the  couch  where  she  lay ; 
and,  on  the  memorable  morn  of  the  seventh,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  open  his  batteries  in  form. 

The  damsel  was  reclining  on  the  ferns ;  one  hand  sup* 


338  omoo. 

porting  her  cheek,  and  the  other  listlessly  turning  over 
the  leaves  of  a  Tahitian  Bible.     The  doctor  approached. 

Now  the  chief  disadvantage  under  which  he  laboured, 
was  his  almost  complete  ignorance  of  the  love  vocabu- 
lary of  the  island.  But  French  counts,  they  say,  make 
love  delightfully  in  broken  English  ;  and  what  hindered 
the  doctor  from  doing  the  same  in  dulcet  Tahitian? 
So  at  it  he  went. 

"  Ah ! "  said  he,  smiling  bewitchingly,  "  oee  micko- 
naree  ?  oee  ready  Biblee  ?  " 

No  answer ;  not  even  a  look. 

"  Ah  !  maitai !  very  goody  ready  Biblee  mickonaree." 

Loo,  without  stirring,  began  reading,  in  a  low  tone,  to 
herself. 

"  Mickonaree  Biblee  ready  goody  maitai,"  once  more 
observed  the  doctor,  ingeniously  transposing  his  words 
for  the  third  time. 

But  all  to  no  purpose ;  Loo  gave  no  sign. 

He  paused  despairingly;  but  it  would  never  do  to 
give  up ;  so  he  threw  himself  at  full  length  beside  her, 
and  audaciously  commenced  turning  over  the  leaves. 

Loo  gave  a  start,  just  one  little  start,  barely  percepti- 
ble, and  then  fumbling  something  in  her  hand,  lay  per- 
fectly motionless ;  the  doctor  rather  frightened  at  his  own 
temerity,  and  knowing  not  what  to  do  next.  At  last, 
he  placed  one  arm  cautiously  about  her  waist ;  almost 
in  the  same  instant  he  bounded  to  his  feet,  with  a  cry  ; 
the  little  witch  had  pierced  him  with  a  thorn.  But 
there  she  lay  just  as  quietly  as  ever,  turning  over  the 
leaves,  and  reading  to  herself. 

My  long  friend  raised  the  siege  incontinently,  and 
made  a  disorderly  retreat  to  the  place  where  I  reclined, 
looking  on. 

I  am  pretty  sure  that  Loo  must  have  related  this 


MBS.  BELL.  339 

occurrence  to  her  father,  who  came  in  shortly  afterward ; 
for  he  looked  queerly  at  the  doctor.  But  he  said  noth- 
ing, and  in  ten  minutes  was  quite  affable  as  ever.  As 
for  Loo,  there  was  not  the  slightest  change  in  her ;  and 
the  doctor,  of  course,  for  ever  afterwards  held  his 
peace. 


CHAPTER   LXXVIII. 

MRS.   BELL. 

One  day,  taking  a  pensive  afternoon  stroll  along  one 
of  the  many  bridle-paths  which  wind  among  the  shady 
groves  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Taloo,  I  was  startled  by 
a  sunny  apparition.  It  was  that  of  a  beautiful  young 
Englishwoman,  charmingly  dressed,  and  mounted  upon 
a  spirited  little  white  pony.  Switching  a  green  branch, 
she  came  cantering  towards  me. 

I  looked  round  me  to  see  whether  I  could  possibly  be 
in  Polynesia.  There  were  the  palm-trees ;  but  how  to 
account  for  the  lady? 

Stepping  to  one  side,  as  the  apparition  drew  near,  I 
made  a  polite  obeisance.  It  gave  me  a  bold,  rosy  look ; 
and  then,  with  a  gay  air,  patted  its  palfrey,  crying  out, 
"  Fly  away,  Willie  ! "  and  galloped  among  the  trees. 

I  would  have  followed ;  but  Willie's  heels  were  mak- 
ing snch  a  pattering  among  the  dry  leaves,  that  pur- 
suit would  have  been  useless. 

So  I  went  straight  home  to  Po-Po's,  and  related  my 
adventure  to  the  doctor. 

The  next  day,  our  inquiries  resulted  in  finding  out, 
that  the  stranger  had  been  in   the   island   about  two 


340  omoo. 

years ;  that  she  came  from  Sydney ;  and  was  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Bell  (happy  dog),  the  proprietor  of  the  sugar 
plantation,  to  which  I  have  previously  referred. 

To  the  sugar  plantation  we  went  the  same  day. 

The  country  round  about  was  very  beautiful :  a  level 
basin  of  verdure,  surrounded  by  sloping  hillsides.  The 
sugar-cane  —  of  which  there  are  about  one  hundred 
acres,  in  various  stages  of  cultivation  —  looked  thrifty. 
A  considerable  tract  of  land,  however,  which  seemed  to 
have  been  formerly  tilled,  was  now  abandoned. 

The  place  where  they  extracted  the  saccharine  mat- 
ter was  under  an  immense  shed  of  bamboos.  Here  we 
saw  several  clumsy  pieces  of  machinery  for  breaking  the 
cane  ;  also  great  kettles  for  boiling  the  sugar.  But,  at 
present,  nothing  was  going  on.  Two  or  three  natives 
were  lounging  in  one  of  the  kettles,  smoking ;  the  other 
was  occupied  by  three  sailors  from  the  Leviathan,  play- 
ing cards. 

While  we  were  conversing  with  these  worthies,  a 
stranger  approached.  He  was  a  sun-burnt,  romantic- 
looking  European,  dressed  in  a  loose  suit  of  nankeen ; 
his  fine  throat  and  chest  were  exposed,  and  he  sported  a 
Guayaquil  hat,  with  a  brim  like  a  Chinese  umbrella. 
This  was  Mr.  Bell.  He  was  very  civil ;  showed  us  the 
grounds,  and,  taking  us  into  a  sort  of  arbour,  to  our 
surprise,  offered  to  treat  us  to  some  wine.  People  often 
do  the  like ;  but  Mr.  Bell  did  more :  he  produced 
the  bottle.  It  was  spicy  sherry  ;  and  we  drank  out 
of  the  halves  of  fresh  citron  melons.  Delectable  gob- 
lets ! 

The  wine  was  a  purchase  from  the  French  in  Tahiti. 

Now  all  this  was  extremely  polite  in  Mr.  Bell ;  still, 
we  came  to  see  Mrs.  Bell.  But  she  proved  to  be  a 
phantom,  indeed,  having   left   the   same   morning   for 


TALOO   CHAPEL.  341 

Papeetee,  on  a  visit  to  one  of  the  missionaries'  wives 
there. 

I  went  home  much  chagrined. 

To  be  frank,  my  curiosity  had  been  wonderfully 
piqued  concerning  the  lady.  In  the  first  place,  she  was 
the  most  beautiful  white  woman  I  ever  saw  in  Polynesia. 
But  this  is  saying  nothing.  She  had  such  eyes,  such 
moss-roses  in  her  cheeks,  such  a  divine  air  in  the  saddle, 
that,  to  my  dying  day,  I  shall  never  forget  Mrs. 

The  sugar-planter  himself  was  young,  rpfcust,  and 
handsome.  So,  merrily  may  the  little  Bells  increase 
and  multiply,  and  make  music  in  the  land  ofilmeeo. 


CHAPTER  LXXIX. 

TALOO  CHAPEL.  —  HOLDING  COURT   IN  POLYNESIA 

In  Partoowye  is  to  be  seen  one  of  the  best  constructed 
and  handsomest  chapels  in  the  South  Seas.  Like  the 
buildings  of  the  palace,  it  stands  upon  an  artificial  pier, 
presenting  a  semicircular  sweep  to  the  bay.  The  chapel 
is  built  of  hewn  blocks  of  coral;  a  substance  which, 
although  extremely  friable,  is  said  to  harden  by  expo- 
sure to  the  atmosphere.  To  a  stranger,  these  blocks 
look  extremely  curious.  Their  surface  is  covered  with 
strange  fossil-like  impressions,  the  seal  of  which  must 
have  been  set  before  the  flood.  Very  nearly  white 
when  hewn  from  the  reefs,  the  coral  darkens  with  age ; 
so  that  several  churches  in  Polynesia  now  look  almost 
as  sooty  and  venerable  as  famed  St.  Paul's. 

In  shape,  the  chapel  is  an  octagon,  with  galleries  all 


342  omoo. 

round.  It  will  seat,  perhaps,  four  hundred  people. 
Everything  within  is  stained  a  tawny  red;  and  there 
being  but  few  windows,  or  rather  embrasures,  the  dusky 
benches  and  galleries,  and  the  tall  spectre  of  a  pulpit, 
look  anything  but  cheerful. 

On  Sundays,  we  always  went  to  worship  here.  Go- 
ing in  the  family  suite  of  Po-Po,  we,  of  course,  main- 
tained a  most  decorous  exterior ;  and  hence,  by  all  the 
elderly  people  of  the  village,  were  doubtless  regarded 
as  pattern  young  men. 

Po-Po's  seat  was  in  a  snug  corner ;  and  it  being 
particularly  snug,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  one  of 
the  palm  pillars  supporting  the  gallery,  I  invariably 
leaned  against  it :  Po-Po  and  his  lady  on  one  side,  the 
doctor  and  the  dandy  on  the  other,  and  the  children 
and  poor  relations  seated  behind. 

As  for  Loo,  instead  of  sitting  (as  she  ought  to  have 
done)  by  her  good  father  and  mother,  she  must  needs 
run  up  into  the  gallery,  and  sit  with  a  parcel  of  giddy 
creatures  of  her  own  age ;  who,  all  through  the  sermon, 
did  nothing  but  look  down  on  the  congregation  ;  point- 
ing out,  and  giggling  at  the  queer-looking  old  ladies  in 
dowdy  bonnets  and  scant  tunics.  But  Loo  herself  was 
never  guilty  of  these  improprieties. 

Occasionally  during  the  week,  they  have  afternoon 
service  in  the  chapel,  when  the  natives  themselves  have 
something  to  say ;  although  their  auditors  are  but  few. 
An  introductory  prayer  being  offered  by  the  missionary, 
and  a  hymn  sung,  communicants  rise  in  their  places,  and 
exhort  in  pure  Tahitian,  and  with  wonderful  tone  and 
gesture.  And  among  them  all,  Deacon  Po-Po,  though 
he  talked  most,  was  the  one  whom  you  would  have  liked 
best  to  hear.  Much  would  I  have  given  to  have  under- 
stood some  of  his  impassioned  bursts ;  when  he  tossed 


TALOO  CHAPEL.  343 

his  arms  overhead,  stamped,  scowled,  and  glared,  till  he 
looked  like  the  very  Angel  of  Vengeance. 

"  Deluded  man !  "  sighed  the  doctor,  on  one  of  these 
occasions,  "  I  fear  he  takes  the  fanatical  view  of  the 
subject."  One  thing  was  certain ;  when  Po-Po  spoke, 
all  listened ;  a  great  deal  more  than  could  be  said  for  the 
rest;  for  under  the  discipline  of  two  or  three  I  could 
mention,  some  of  the  audience  napped ;  others  fidgeted ; 
a  few  yawned;  and  one  irritable  old  gentleman,  in  a 
night-cap  of  cocoa-nut  leaves,  used  to  clutch  his  long 
staff  in  a  state  of  excessive  nervousness,  and  stride  out 
of  the  church,  making  all  the  noise  he  could,  to  emphasise 
his  disgust. 

Right  adjoining  the  chapel  is  an  immense,  rickety 
building,  with  windows  and  shutters,  and  a  half-decayed 
board  flooring  laid  upon  trunks  of  palm-trees.  They 
called  it  a  school-house ;  but  as  such  we  never  saw  it  oc- 
cupied. It  was  often  used  as  a  court-room,  however; 
and  here  we  attended  several  trials ;  among  others,  that 
of  a  decayed  naval  officer,  and  a  young  girl  of  fourteen; 
the  latter,  charged  with  having  been  very  naughty  on  a 
particular  occasion,  set  forth  in  the  pleadings ;  and  the 
former,  with  having  aided  and  abetted  her  in  her  naugh- 
tiness, and  with  other  misdemeanours. 

The  foreigner  was  a  tall,  military-looking  fellow,  with 
a  dark  cheek  and  black  whiskers.  According  to  his  own 
account,  he  had  lost  a  colonial  armed  brig  on  the  coast 
of  New  Zealand ;  and  since  then,  had  been  leading  the 
life  of  a  man  about  town,  among  the  islands  of  the 
Pacific. 

The  doctor  wanted  to  know  why  he  did  not  go  home 
and  report  the  loss  of  his  brig ;  but  Captain  Crash,  as 
they  called  him,  had  some  incomprehensible  reasons  for 
not  doing  so,  about  which  he  could  talk  by  the  hour,  and 


344  omoo. 

no  one  be  any  the  wiser.  Probably,  he  was  a  discreet 
man,  and  thought  it  best  to  waive  an  interview  with  the 
lords  of  the  admiralty. 

For  some  time  past,  this  extremely  suspicious  charac- 
ter had  been  carrying  on  an  illicit  trade  in  French  wines 
and  brandies,  smuggled  oyer  from  the  men-of-war  lately 
touching  at  Tahiti.  In  a  grove  near  the  anchorage,  he 
had  a  rustic  shanty  and  arbour ;  where,  in  quiet  times, 
when  no  ships  were  in  Taloo,  a  stray  native  once  in  a 
while  got  boozy,  and  staggered  home,  catching  at  the 
cocoa-nut  trees  as  he  went.  The  captain  himself  lounged 
under  a  tree  during  the  warm  afternoons,  pipe  in  mouth ; 
thinking,  perhaps,  over  old  times,  and  occasionally  feel- 
ing his  shoulders  for  his  lost  epaulets. 

But,  sail  ho!  a  ship  is  descried  coming  into  the  bay. 
Soon,  she  drops  her  anchor  in  its  waters ;  and  the  next 
day  Captain  Crash  entertains  the  sailors  in  his  grove. 
And  rare  times  they  have  of  it,  —  drinking  and  quarrel- 
ling together,  as  sociably  as  you  please. 

Upon  one  of  these  occasions,  the  crew  of  the  Levia- 
than made  so  prodigious  a  tumult,  that  the  natives,  in- 
dignant at  the  insult  offered  their  laws,  plucked  up  a 
heart,  and  made  a  dash  at  the  rioters,  one  hundred 
strong.  The  sailors  fought  like  tigers ;  but  were  at  last 
overcome,  and  carried  before  a  native  tribunal ;  which, 
after  a  mighty  clamour,  dismissed  everybody  but  Cap- 
tain Crash,  who  was  asserted  to  be  the  author  of  the 
disorders. 

Upon  this  charge,  then,  he  had  been  placed  in  con- 
finement against  the  coming  on  of  the  assizes ;  the  judge 
being  expected  to  lounge  along  in  the  course  of  the 
afternoon.  While  waiting  his  Honour's  arrival,  numer- 
ous additional  offences  were  preferred  against  the  culprit 
(mostly  by  the  old  women)  ;  among  others  was  the  bit 


TALOO   CHAPEL.  345 

of  a  slip  in  which  he  stood  implicated  along  with  the 
young  lady.  Thus,  in  Polynesia  as  elsewhere ;  —  charge 
a  man  with  one  misdemeanour,  and  all  his  peccadilloes 
are  raked  up  and  assorted  before  him. 

Going  to  the  school-house  for  the  purpose  of  witness- 
ing the  trial,  the  din  of  it  assailed  our  ears  a  long  way 
off;  and  upon  entering  the  building  we  were  almost 
stunned.  About  five  hundred  natives  were  present ;  each, 
apparently,  having  something  to  say,  and  determined  to 
say  it.  His  Honour  —  a  handsome,  benevolent-looking 
old  man  —  sat  cross-legged  on  a  little  platform;  seem- 
ingly resigned  with  all  Christian  submission  to  the  up- 
roar. He  was  an  hereditary  chief  in  this  quarter  of  the 
island,  and  judge  for  life  in  the  district  of  Partoowye. 

There  were  several  cases  coming  on ;  but  the  captain 
and  girl  were  first  tried  together.  They  were  mixing 
freely  with  the  crowd;  and  as  it  afterward  turned  out 
that  every  one,  no  matter  who,  had  a  right  to  address 
the  court,  for  aught  we  knew  they  might  have  been  ar- 
guing their  own  case.  At  what  precise  moment  the 
trial  began,  it  would  be  hard  to  say.  There  was  no 
swearing  of  witnesses,  and  no  regular  jury.1  Now  and 
then  somebody  leaped  up  and  shouted  out  something 
which  might  have  been  evidence ;  the  rest,  meanwhile, 
keeping  up  an  incessant  jabbering.  Presently,  the  old 
judge  himself  began  to  get  excited;  and  springing  to 
his  feet,  ran  in  among  the  crowd,  wagging  his  tongue 
as  hard  as  anybody. 

The  tumult  lasted  about  twenty  minutes ;  and  toward 
the  end  of  it,  Captain  Crash  might  have  been  seen, 
tranquilly  regarding,  from  his  Honour's  platform,  the 

1  This  anomaly  exists,  notwithstanding  that,  in  other  respects,  the 
missionaries  have  endeavoured  to  organise  the  native  courts  upon  the 
English  model. 


346  omoo. 

judicial  uproar,  in  which  his  fate  was  about  being 
decided. 

The  result  of  all  this  was,  that  both  he  and  the  girl 
were  found  guilty.  The  latter  was  adjudged  to  make 
six  mats  for  the  queen ;  and  the  former,  in  consideration 
of  his  manifold  offences,  being  deemed  incorrigible,  was 
sentenced  to  eternal  banishment  from  the  island.  Both 
these  decrees  seemed  to  originate  in  the  general  hubbub. 
His  Honour,  however,  appeared  to  have  considerable 
authority,  and  it  was  quite  plain  that  the  decision 
received  his  approval. 

The  above  penalties  were  by  no  means  indiscriminately 
inflicted.  The  missionaries  have  prepared  a  sort  of  penal 
tariff  to  facilitate  judicial  proceedings.  It  costs  so  many 
days'  labour  on  the  Broom  Road  to  indulge  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  calabash;  so  many  fathoms  of  stone 
wall  to  steal  a  musket ;  and  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  cata- 
logue. The  judge  being  provided  with  a  book,  in  which 
all  these  matters  are  cunningly  arranged,  the  thing  is 
vastly  convenient.  For  instance :  a  crime  is  proved,  — 
say,  bigamy ;  turn  to  letter  B  —  and  there  you  have  it. 
Bigamy:  —  forty  days  on  the  Broom  Road,  and  twenty 
mats  for  the  queen.  Read  the  passage  aloud,  and 
sentence  is  pronounced. 

After  taking  part  in  the  first  trial,  the  other  delin- 
quents present  were  put  upon  their  own ;  in  which,  also, 
the  convicted  culprits  seemed  to  have  quite  as  much 
to  say  as  the  rest.  A  rather  strange  proceeding;  but 
strictly  in  accordance  with  the  glorious  English  princi- 
ple, that  every  man  should  be  tried  by  his  peers. 

They  were  all  found  guilty. 


QUEEN  POMAREE.  347 

CHAPTER  LXXX. 

QUEEN  POMAREE. 

It  is  well  to  learn  something  about  people  before 
being  introduced  to  them ;  and  so,  we  will  here  give 
some  account  of  Pomaree  and  her  family. 

Every  reader  of  Cook's  Voyages  must  remember 
"  Otoo,"  who,  in  that  navigator's  time,  was  king  of  the 
larger  peninsula  of  Tahiti.  Subsequently,  assisted  by 
the  muskets  of  the  Bount}r's  men,  he  extended  his  rule 
over  the  entire  island.  This  Otoo,  before  his  death,  had 
his  name  changed  into  Pomaree,  which  has  ever  since 
been  the  royal  patronymic. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Pomaree  II.,  the  most 
famous  prince  in  the  annals  of  Tahiti.  Though  a  sad 
debauchee  and  drunkard,  and  even  charged  with  unnat- 
ural crimes,  he  was  a  great  friend  of  the  missionaries, 
and  one  of  their  very  first  proselytes.  During  the  reli- 
gious wars  into  which  he  was  hurried  by  his  zeal  for 
the  new  faith,  he  was  defeated,  and  expelled  from  the 
island.  After  a  short  exile,  he  returned  from  Imeeo, 
with  an  army  of  eight  hundred  warriors  :  and,  in  the 
battle  of  Narii,  routed  the  rebellious  pagans  with  great 
slaughter,  and  re-established  himself  upon  the  throne. 
Thus,  by  force  of  arms  was  Christianity  finally  triumph- 
ant in  Tahiti. 

Pomaree  II.,  dying  in  1821,  was  succeeded  by  his 
infant  son,  under  the  title  of  Pomaree  III.  This  young 
prince  survived  his  father  but  six  years ;  and  the  gov- 
ernment then  descended  to  his  elder  sister,  Aimata, 
the  present  queen,  who   is   commonly  called  Pomaree 


348  omoo. 

Vahinee  I.,  or  the  first  female  Pomaree.  Her  Majesty 
must  be  now  upwards  of  thirty  years  of  age.  She  has 
been  twice  married.  Her  first  husband  was  a  son  of 
the  old  King  of  Tahar,  an  island  about  one  hundred 
miles  from  Tahiti.  This  proving  an  unhappy  alliance, 
the  pair  were  soon  after  divorced.  The  present  husband 
of  the  queen  is  a  chief  of  Imeeo. 

The  reputation  of  Pomaree  is  not  what  it  ought  to 
be.  She,  and  also  her  mother,  were,  for  a  long  time, 
excommunicated  members  of  the  Church ;  and  the 
former,  I  believe,  still  is.  Among  other  things,  her 
conjugal  fidelity  is  far  from  being  unquestioned.  In- 
deed, it  was  upon  this  ground  chiefly  that  she  was 
excluded  from  the  communion  of  the  Church. 

Previous  to  her  misfortunes,  she  spent  the  greater 
portion  of  her  time  sailing  about  from  one  island  to  an- 
other, attended  by  a  licentious  court ;  and  wherever  she 
went,  all  manner  of  games  and  festivities  celebrated  her 
arrival. 

She  was  always  given  to  display.  For  several  years 
the  maintenance  of  a  regiment  of  household  troops  drew 
largely  upon  the  royal  exchequer.  They  were  trouser- 
less  fellows,  in  a  uniform  of  calico  shirts  and  pasteboard 
hats ;  armed  with  muskets  of  all  shapes  and  calibres,  and 
commanded  by  a  great  noisy  chief,  strutting  it  in  a  coat 
of  fiery  red.  These  heroes  escorted  their  mistress  when- 
ever she  went  abroad. 

Some  time  ago,  the  queen  received  from  her  English 
sister,  Victoria,  a  very  showy,  though  uneasy,  headdress 
—  a  crown  ;  probably  made  to  order,  at  some  tinman's 
in  London.  Having  no  idea  of  reserving  so  pretty  a 
bauble  for  coronation  days,  which  come  so  seldom,  her 
majesty  sported  it  whenever  she  appeared  in  public; 
and,  to  show  her  familiarity  with  European   customs, 


QUEEN  POMAREE.  349 

politely  touched  it  to  all  foreigners  of  distinction  — 
whaling  captains  and  the  like  —  whom  she  happened  to 
meet  in  her  evening  walk  on  the  Broom  Road. 

The  arrival  and  departure  of  royalty  were  always 
announced  at  the  palace  by  the  court  artilleryman  —  a 
fat  old  gentleman,  who,  in  a  prodigious  hurry  and  per- 
spiration, discharged  minute  fowling-pieces,  as  fast  as  he 
could  load  and  fire  the  same. 

The  Tahitian  princess  leads  her  husband  a  hard  life. 
Poor  fellow !  he  not  only  caught  a  queen,  but  a  Tartar, 
when  he  married  her.  The  style  by  which  he  is  ad- 
dressed is  rather  significant — "  Pomaree-Tanee  "  (Po- 
maree's  man).  All  things  considered,  as  appropriate  a 
title  for  a  king-consort  as  could  be  hit  upon. 

If  ever  there  was  a  henpecked  husband,  that  man  is 
the  prince.  One  day,  his  cara-sposa,  giving  audience  to 
a  deputation  from  the  captains  of  the  vessels  lying  in 
Papeetee,  he  ventured  to  make  a  suggestion  which  was 
very  displeasing  to  her.  She  turned  round,  and,  boxing 
his  ears,  told  him  to  go  over  to  his  beggarly  island  of 
Imeeo,  if  he  wanted  to  give  himself  airs. 

Cuffed  and  contemned,  poor  Tanee  flies  to  the  bottle, 
or  rather  to  the  calabash,  for  solace.  Like  his  wife  and 
mistress,  he  drinks  more  than  he  ought. 

Six  or  seven  years  ago,  when  an  American  man-of-war 
was  lying  at  Papeetee,  the  town  was  thrown  into  the 
greatest  commotion  by  a  conjugal  assault  and  battery, 
made  upon  the  sacred  person  of  Pomaree  by  her  intoxi- 
cated Tanee. 

Captain  Bob  once  told  me  the  story.  And  by  way  of 
throwing  more  spirit  into  the  description,  as  well  as 
to  make  up  for  his  oral  deficiencies,  the  old  man  went 
through  the  accompanying  action:  myself  being  proxy 
for  the  Queen  of  Tahiti. 


350  omoo. 

It  seems,  that  on  a  Sunday  morning,  being  dismissed 
contemptuously  from  the  royal  presence,  Tanee  was 
accosted  by  certain  good  fellows,  friends  and  boon  com- 
panions, who  condoled  with  him  on  his  misfortunes  — 
railed  against  the  queen,  and  finally  dragged  him  away 
to  an  illicit  vender  of  spirits,  in  whose  house  the  party 
got  gloriously  mellow.  In  this  state,  Pomaree  Vahinee 
I.  was  the  topic  upon  which  all  dilated  —  "  A  vixen  of  a 
queen,"  probably  suggested  one.  "  It's  infamous,"  said 
another;  "and  I'd  have  satisfaction,"  cried  a  third. 
"  And  so  I  will ! "  — Tanee  must  have  hiccoughed ;  for 
off  he  went ;  and  ascertaining  that  his  royal  half  was 
out  riding,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and  galloped  after  her. 

Near  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  a  cavalcade  of  women 
came  cantering  towards  him,  in  the  centre  of  which  was 
the  object  of  his  fury.  Smiting  his  beast  right  and 
left,  he  dashed  in  among  them ;  completely  overturning 
one  of  the  party,  leaving  her  on  the  field,  and  dispersing 
everybody  else  except  Pomaree.  Backing  her  horse 
dexterously,  the  incensed  queen  heaped  upon  him  every 
scandalous  epithet  she  could  think  of ;  until  at  last,  the 
enraged  Tanee  leaped  out  of  his  saddle,  caught  Pomaree 
by  her  dress,  and  dragging  her  to  the  earth,  struck  her 
repeatedly  in  the  face,  holding  on  meanwhile  by  the 
hair  of  her  head.  He  was  proceeding  to  strangle  her  on 
the  spot,  when  the  cries  of  the  frightened  attendants 
brought  a  crowd  of  natives  to  the  rescue,  who  bore  the 
nearly  insensible  queen  away. 

But  his  frantic  rage  was  not  yet  sated.  He  ran  to 
the  palace ;  and  before  it  could  be  prevented,  demolished 
a  valuable  supply  of  crockery,  a  recent  present  from 
abroad.  In  the  act  of  perpetrating  some  other  atrocity, 
he  was  seized  from  behind,  and  carried  off  with  rolling 
eyes  and  foaming  at  the  mouth. 


QUEEN  POMAREE.  351 

This  is  a  fair  example  of  a  Tahitian  in  a  passion. 
Though  the  mildest  of  mortals  in  general,  and  hard  to 
be  roused,  when  once  fairly  up,  he  is  possessed  with  a 
thousand  devils. 

The  day  following,  Tanee  was  privately  paddled  over 
to  Imeeo,  in  a  canoe ;  where,  after  remaining  in  banish- 
ment for  a  couple  of  weeks,  he  was  allowed  to  return, 
and  once  more  give  in  his  domestic  adhesion. 

Though  Pomaree  Vahinee  I.  be  something  of  a  Jezebel 
in  private  life,  in  her  public  rule  she  is  said  to  have 
been  quite  lenient  and  forbearing.  This  was  her  true 
policy;  for  an  hereditary  hostility  to  her  family  had 
always  lurked  in  the  hearts  of  many  powerful  chiefs,  the 
descendants  of  the  old  Kings  of  Taiarboo,  dethroned  by 
her  grandfather  Otoo.  Chief  among  these,  and  in  fact 
the  leader  of  his  party,  was  Poofai ;  a  bold,  able  man, 
who  made  no  secret  of  his  enmity  to  the  missionaries, 
and  the  government  which  they  controlled.  But  while 
events  were  occurring,  calculated  to  favour  the  hopes 
of  the  disaffected  and  turbulent,  the  arrival  of  the  French 
gave  a  most  unexpected  turn  to  affairs. 

During  my  sojourn  in  Tahiti,  a  report  was  rife  — 
which  I  knew  to  originate  with  what  is  generally  called 
the  "  missionary  party  "  —  that  Poofai  and  some  other 
chiefs  of  note,  had  actually  agreed,  for  a  stipulated  bribe, 
to  acquiesce  in  the  appropriation  of  their  country.  But 
subsequent  events  have  rebutted  the  calumny.  Several 
of  these  very  men  have  recently  died  in  battle  against 
the  French. 

Under  the  sovereignty  of  the  Pomarees,the  great  chiefs 
of  Tahiti  were  something  like  the  barons  of  King  John. 
Holding  feudal  sway  over  their  patrimonial  valleys,  and, 
on  account  of  their  descent,  warmly  beloved  by  the 
people,  they  frequently  cut  off   the  royal  revenues  by 


352  omoo. 

refusing  to  pay  the  customary  tribute  due  from  them  as 
vassals. 

The  truth  is,  that  with  the  ascendency  of  the  mission- 
aries, the  regal  office  in  Tahiti  lost  much  of  its  dignity 
and  influence.  In  the  days  of  paganism,  it  was  sup- 
ported by  all  the  power  of  a  numerous  priesthood,  and 
was  solemnly  connected  with  the  entire  superstitious 
idolatry  of  the  land.  The  monarch  claimed  to  be  a  sort 
of  by-blow  of  Tararroa,  the  Saturn  of  the  Polynesian 
mythology,  and  cousin-german  to  inferior  deities.  His 
person  was  thrice  holy ;  if  he  entered  an  ordinary  dwell- 
ing, never  mind  for  how  short  a  time,  it  was  demolished 
when  he  left ;  no  common  mortal  being  thought  worthy 
to  inhabit  it  afterwards. 

"I'm  a  greater  man  than  King  George,"  said  the  in- 
corrigible young  Otoo,  to  the  first  missionaries ;  "  he 
rides  on  a  horse,  and  I  on  a  man  ! "  Such  was  the  case. 
He  travelled  post  through  his  dominions  on  the 
shoulders  of  his  subjects  ;  and  relays  of  immortal  beings 
were  provided  in  all  the  valleys. 

But  alas  !  how  times  have  changed  !  how  transient 
human  greatness  !  Some  years  since,  Pomaree  Vahinee 
I.,  the  granddaughter  of  the  proud  Otoo,  went  into  the 
laundry  business ;  publicly  soliciting,  by  her  agents, 
the  washing  of  the  linen  belonging  to  the  officers  of 
ships  touching  in  her  harbours. 

It  is  a  significant  fact,  and  one  worthy  of  record,  that 
while  the  influence  of  the  English  missionaries  at  Tahiti 
has  tended  to  so  great  a  diminution  of  the  regal  dignity 
there,  that  of  the  American  missionaries  at  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  has  been  purposely  exerted  to  bring  about 
a  contrary  result. 


WE   VISIT   THE  COURT.  353 

CHAPTER  LXXXI. 

WE  VISIT  THE    COURT. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  the  second  month  of  the 
Hegira,  and  therefore  some  five  weeks  after  our  arrival 
in  Partoowye,  that  we  at  last  obtained  admittance  to 
the  residence  of  the  queen. 

It  happened  thus.  There  was  a  Marquesan  in  the 
train  of  Pomaree,  who  officiated  as  nurse  to  her  chil- 
dren. According  to  the  Tahitian  custom,  the  royal 
youngsters  are  carried  about  until  it  requires  no  small 
degree  of  strength  to  stand  up  under  them.  But  Mar- 
bonna  was  just  the  man  for  this  —  large  and  muscular, 
well  made  as  a  statue,  and  with  an  arm  like  a  degener- 
ate Tahitian's  thigh. 

Embarking  at  his  native  island,  as  a  sailor,  on  board 
of  a  French  whaler,  he  afterwards  ran  away  from  the 
ship  at  Tahiti ;  where,  being  seen  and  admired  by  Po- 
maree, he  had  been  prevailed  upon  to  enlist  in  her 
service. 

Often,  when  visiting  the  grounds,  we  saw  him  walk- 
ing about  in  the  shade,  carrying  two  handsome  boys, 
who  encircled  his  neck  with  their  arms.  Marbonna's 
face,  tattooed  as  it  was  in  the  ornate  style  of  his  tribe, 
was  as  good  as  a  picture-book  to  these  young  Pomarees. 
They  delighted  to  trace  with  their  fingers  the  outlines 
of  the  strange  shapes  there  delineated. 

The  first  time  my  eyes  lighted  upon  the  Marquesan, 
I  knew  his  country  in  a  moment ;  and  hailing  him  in 
his  own  language,  he  turned  round,  surprised  that  a 
person  so  speaking  should  be  a  stranger.     He  proved  to 


354  omoo. 

be  a  native  of  Tior,  a  glen  of  Nukuheva.  I  had  visited 
the  place  more  than  once ;  and  so,  on  the  island  of 
Imeeo,  we  met  like  old  friends. 

In  my  frequent  conversations  with  him  over  the  bam- 
boo picket,  I  found  this  islander  a  philosopher  of  nature 
—  a  wild  heathen,  moralising  upon  the  vices  and  follies 
of  the  Christian  court  of  Tahiti  —  a  /savage^  'scorning 
the  degeneracy  of  the  people  among  whom^rTimie^had 
throwli  him. 

I  was  amazed  at  the  national  feelings  of  the  man. 
No  European,  when  abroad,  could  speak  of  his  country 
with  more  pride  than  Marbonna.  He  assured  me,  again 
and  again,  that  so  soon  as  he  had  obtained  sufficient 
money  to  purchase  twenty  muskets  and  as  many  bags  of 
powder,  he  was  going  to  return  to  a  place,  with  which 
Imeeo  was  not  worthy  to  be  compared. 

It  was  Marbonna,  who  after  one  or  two  unsuccessful 
attempts,  at  last  brought  about  our  admission  into  the 
queen's  grounds.  Through  a  considerable  crowd,  he 
conducted  us  along  the  pier  to  where  an  old  man  was  sit- 
ting ;  to  whom  he  introduced  us  as  a  couple  of  "  kar- 
howrees  "  of  his  acquaintance,  anxious  to  see  the  sights 
of  the  palace.  The  venerable  chamberlain  stared  at  us, 
and  shook  his  head :  the  doctor,  thinking  he  wanted  a 
fee,  placed  a  plug  of  tobacco  in  his  hand.  This  was  in- 
gratiating, and  we  were  permitted  to  pass  on.  Upon 
the  point  of  entering  one  of  the  houses,  Marbonna's 
name  was  shouted  in  half-a-dozen  different  directions, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  withdraw. 

Thus  left  at  the  very  threshold  to  shift  for  ourselves, 
my  companion's  assurance  stood  us  in  good  stead.  He 
stalked  right  in,  and  I  followed.  The  place  was  full  of 
women,  who,  instead  of  exhibiting  the  surprise  we  ex- 
pected, accosted  us  as  cordially  as  if  we  had  called  to 


WE   VISIT  THE  COURT.  355 

take  our  souchong  with  them,  by  express  invitation. 
In  the  first  place  nothing  would  do  but  we  must  each 
devour  a  calabash  of  "  poee  "  and  several  roasted  ba- 
nanas. Pipes  were  then  lighted,  and  a  brisk  conversa- 
tion ensued. 

These  ladies  of  the  court,  if  not  very  polished,  were 
surprisingly  free  and  easy  in  their  manners ;  quite  as 
much  so  as  King  Charles's  beauties.  There  was  one  of 
them  —  an  arch  little  miss,  who  could  converse  with  us 
pretty  fluently  —  to  whom  we  strove  to  make  ourselves 
particularly  agreeable,  with  the  view  of  engaging  her 
services  as  cicerone. 

As  such,  she  turned  out  be  every  thing  we  could  de- 
sire. No  one  disputing  her  will,  every  place  was 
entered  without  ceremony,  curtains  brushed  aside,  mats 
lifted,  and  each  nook  and  corner  explored.  Whether 
the  little  damsel  carried  her  mistress's  signet,  that  every 
thing  opened  to  her  thus,  I  know  not ;  but  Marbonna 
himself,  the  bearer  of  infants,  could  not  have  been  half 
so  serviceable. 

Among  other  houses  which  we  visited,  was  one  of 
large  size  and  fine  exterior ;  the  special  residence  of  a 
European  —  formerly  the  mate  of  a  merchant  vessel,  — 
who  had  done  himself  the  honour  of  marrying  into  the 
Pomaree  family.  The  lady  he  wedded  being  a  near 
kinswoman  of  the  queen,  he  became  a  permanent 
member  of  her  majesty's  household.  This  adventurer 
rose  late,  dressed  theatrically  in  calico  and  trinkets, 
assumed  a  dictatorial  tone  in  conversation,  and  was 
evidently  upon  excellent  terms  with  himself. 

We  found  him  reclining  on  a  mat,  smoking  a  reed- 
pipe  of  tobacco,  in  the  midst  of  an  admiring  circle  of 
chiefs  and  ladies.  He  must  have  noticed  our  approach ; 
but  instead  of  rising  and  offering  civilities,  he  went  on 


356  omoo. 

talking  and  smoking,  without  even  condescending  to 
look  at  us. 

"  His  Highness  feels  his  poee"  carelessly  observed 
the  doctor.  The  rest  of  the  company  gave  us  the  ordi- 
nary salutation,  our  guide  announcing  us  beforehand. 

In  answer  to  our  earnest  requests  to  see  the  queen, 
we  were  now  conducted  to  an  edifice,  by  far  the  most 
spacious,  in  the  enclosure.  It  was  at  least  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  length,  very  wide,  with  low  eaves,  and 
an  exceedingly  steep  roof  of  pandannas  leaves.  There 
were  neither  doors  nor  windows  —  nothing  along  the 
sides  but  the  slight  posts  supporting  the  rafters.  Be- 
tween these  posts,  curtains  of  fine  matting  and  tappa 
were  rustling  all  round ;  some  of  them  were  festooned, 
or  partly  withdrawn,  so  as  to  admit  light  and  air,  and 
afford  a  glimpse  now  and  then  of  what  was  going  on 
within. 

Pushing  aside  one  of  the  screens,  we  entered.  The 
apartment  was  one  immense  hall ;  the  long  and  lofty 
ridge-pole  fluttering  with  fringed  matting  and  tassels, 
full  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  Lounges  of  mats,  piled 
one  upon  another,  extended  on  either  side ;  while  here 
and  there  were  slight  screens,  forming  as  many  recesses, 
where  groups  of  natives  —  all  females — were  reclining 
at  their  evening  meal. 

As  we  advanced,  these  various  parties  ceased  their 
buzzing,  and  in  explanation  of  our  appearance  among 
them,  listened  to  a  few  cabalistic  words  from  our 
guide. 

The  whole  scene  was  a  strange  one;  but  what 
most  excited  our  surprise,  was  the  incongruous  assem- 
blage of  the  most  costly  objects  from  all  quarters  of  the 
globe.  Cheek  by  jowl,  they  lay  beside  the  rudest 
native  articles,  without  the  slightest  attempt  at  order. 


WE   VISIT  THE  COURT.  357 

Superb  writing-desks  of  rosewood,  inlaid  with  silver 
and  mother-of-pearl ;  decanters  and  goblets  of  cut  glass  ; 
embossed  volumes  of  plates ;  gilded  candelabras ;  sets 
of  globes  and  mathematical  instruments;  the  finest 
porcelain ;  richly  mounted  sabres  and  fowling-pieces : 
laced  hats  and  sumptuous  garments  of  all  sorts,  with 
numerous  other  matters  of  European  manufacture, 
were  strewn  about  among  greasy  calabashes  half  filled 
with  poee,  rolls  of  old  tappa  and  matting,  paddles  and 
fish-spears,  and  the  ordinary  furniture  of  a  Tahitian 
dwelling. 

All  the  articles  first  mentioned  were,  doubtless,  pres- 
ents from  foreign  powers.  They  were  more  or  less  in- 
jured :  the  fowling-pieces  and  swords  were  rusted ;  the 
finest  woods  were  scratched;  and  a  folio  volume  of 
Hogarth  lay  open,  with  a  cocoa-nut  shell  of  some  musty 
preparation  capsized  among  the  miscellaneous  furniture 
of  the  Rake's  apartment,  where  that  inconsiderate  young 
gentleman  is  being  measured  for  a  coat. 

While  we  were  amusing  ourselves  in  this  museum  of 
curiosities,  our  conductor  plucked  us  by  the  sleeve,  and 
whispered,  "  Pomaree  !  Pomaree !  aramai  kow  kow." 

"She  is  coming  to  sup,  then,"  said  the  doctor,  staring 
in  the  direction  indicated.  "  What  say  you,  Paul,  sup- 
pose we  step  up  ?  "  Just  then  a  curtain  near  by,  lifted  ; 
and  from  a  private  building  a  few  yards  distant,  the 
queen  entered,  unattended. 

She  wore  a  loose  gown  of  blue  silk,  with  two  rich 
shawls,  one  red  and  the  other  yellow,  tied  about  her 
neck.     Her  royal  majesty  was  barefooted. 

She  was  about  the  ordinary  size,  rather* matronly  ;  her 
features  not  very  handsome;  her  mouth,  voluptuous; 
but  there  was  a  careworn  expression  in  her  face,  prob- 
ably attributable  to  her  late  misfortunes.     From  her 


358  omoo. 

appearance,  one  would  judge  her  about  forty ;  but  she 
is  not  so  old. 

As  the  queen  approached  one  of  the  recesses,  her 
attendants  hurried  up,  escorted  her  in,  and  smoothed  the 
mats  on  which  she  at  last  reclined.  Two  girls  soon 
appeared,  carrying  their  mistress's  repast;  and  then, 
surrounded  by  cut  glass  and  porcelain,  and  jars  of  sweet- 
meats and  confections,  Pomaree  Vahinee  I.,  the  titular 
Queen  of  Tahiti,  ate  fish  and  poee  out  of  her  native 
calabashes,  disdaining  either  knife  or  spoon. 

"  Come  on,"  whispered  Long  Ghost,  "  let's  have  an 
audience  at  once ; "  and  he  was  on  the  point  of  intro- 
ducing himself,  when  our  guide,  quite  alarmed,  held 
him  back,  and  implored  silence.  The  other  natives  also 
interfered ;  and  as  he  was  pressing  forward,  raised  such 
an  outcry  that  Pomaree  lifted  her  eyes,  and  saw  us  for 
the  first  time. 

She  seemed  surprised,  and  offended ;  and  issuing  an 
order  in  a  commanding  tone  to  several  of  her  women, 
waved  us  out  of  the  house.  Summary  as  the  dismissal 
was,  court  etiquette,  no  doubt,  required  our  compliance. 
We  withdrew;  making  a  profound  inclination  as  we 
disappeared  behind  the  tappa  arras. 

We  departed  the  grounds  without  seeing  Marbonna ; 
and  previous  to  vaulting  over  the  picket,  feed  our  pretty 
guide,  after  a  fashion  of  our  own.  Looking  round  a 
few  moments  after,  we  saw  the  damsel  escorted  back  by 
two  men,  who  seemed  to  have  been  sent  after  her.  I 
trust  she  received  nothing  more  than  a  reprimand. 

The  next  day  Po-Po  informed  us  that  strict  orders 
had  been  issued  to  admit  no  strangers  within  the  palace 
precincts. 


WHICH  ENDS   THE  BOOK.  359 

CHAPTER  LXXXII. 

WHICH  ENDS   THE   BOOK. 

Disappointed  in  going  to  court,  we  determined  upon 
going  to  sea.  It  would  never  do,  longer  to  trespass  on 
Po-Po's  hospitality ;  and  then,  weary  somewhat  of  life 
in  Imeeo,  like  all  sailors  ashore,  I  at  last  pined  for  the 
billows. 

Now,  if  her  crew  were  to  be  credited,  the  Leviathan 
was  not  the  craft  to  our  mind.  But  I  had  seen  the  cap- 
tain, and  liked  him.  He  was  an  uncommonly  tall, 
robust,  fine-looking  man,  in  the  prime  of  life.  There 
was  a  deep  crimson  spot  in  the  middle  of  each  sun- 
burnt cheek,  doubtless  the  effect  of  his  sea-potations. 
He  was  a  Vineyarder,  or  native  of  the  island  of  Martha's 
Vineyard  (adjoining  Nantucket),  and,  I  would  have 
sworn  it,  a  sailor,  and  no  tyrant. 

Previous  to  this,  we  had  rather  avoided  the  Levia- 
than's men,  when  they  came  ashore ;  but  now,  we  pur- 
posely threw  ourselves  in  their  way,  in  order  to  learn 
more  of  the  vessel. 

We  became  acquainted  with  the  third  mate,  a  Prus- 
sian, and  an  old  merchant  seaman  —  a  right  jolly  fellow, 
with  a  face  like  a  ruby.  We  took  him  to  Po-Po's,  and 
gave  him  a  dinner  of  baked  pig  and  bread-fruit ;  with 
pipes  and  tobacco  for  dessert.  The  account  he  gave  us 
of  the  ship  agreed  with  my  own  surmises.  A  cosier 
old  craft  never  floated ;  and  the  captain  was  the  finest 
man  in  the  world.  There  was  plenty  to  eat,  too  ;  and, 
at  sea,  nothing  to  do  but  sit  on  the  windlass  and  sail. 
The  only  bad  trait  about  the  vessel  was  this  :  she  had 


360  omoo. 

been  launched  under  some  baleful  star ;  and  so,  was  a 
luckless  ship  in  the  fishery.  She  dropped  her  boats 
into  the  brine  often  enough,  and  they  frequently  got 
fast  to  the  whales  ;  but  lance  and  harpoon  almost  inva- 
riably "drew"  when  darted  by  the  men  of  the  Levia- 
than. But  what  of  that?  We  should  have  all  the 
sport  of  chasing  the  monsters,  with  none  of  the  detest- 
able work  which  follows  their  capture.  So,  hurrah  for 
the  coast  of  Japan !     Thither  the  ship  was  bound. 

A  word  now,  about  the  hard  stories  we  heard,  the 
first  time  we  visited  the  ship.  They  were  nothing  but 
idle  fictions,  got  up  by  the  sailors  for  the  purpose  of 
frightening  us  away,  so  as  to  oblige  the  captain,  who 
was  in  want  of  more  hands,  to  lie  the  longer  in  a  pleas- 
ant harbour. 

The  next  time  the  Vineyarder  came  ashore,  we  flung 
ourselves  in  his  path.  When  informed  of  our  desire  to 
sail  with  him,  he  wanted  to  know  our  history ;  and, 
above  all,  what  countrymen  we  were.  We  said,  that 
we  had  left  a  whaler  in  Tahiti,  some  time  previous ; 
and,  since  then,  had  been,  in  the  most  praiseworthy 
manner,  employed  upon  a  plantation.  As  for  our  coun- 
try, sailors  belong  to  no  nation  in  particular ;  we  were, 
on  this  occasion,  both  Yankees.  Upon  this  he  looked 
decidedly  incredulous  ;  and  freely  told  us,  that  he  verily 
believed  we  were  both  from  Sydney. 

Be  it  known  here,  that  American  sea-captains,  in  the 
Pacific,  are  mortally  afraid  of  these  Sydney  gentry; 
who,  to  tell  the  truth,  wherever  known,  are  in  exces- 
sively bad  odour.  Is  there  a  mutiny  on  board  a  ship  in 
the  South  Seas,  ten  to  one  a  Sydney  man  is  the  ring- 
leader.    Ashore,  these  fellows  are  equally  riotous. 

It  was  on  this  account,  that  we  were  anxious  to  con- 
ceal  the  fact  of   our  having   belonged  to  the  Julia; 


WHICH  ENDS   THE  BOOK.  361 

though  it  annoyed  me  much,  thus  to  deny  the  dashing 
little  craft.  For  the  same  reason,  also,  the  doctor  fibbed 
about  his  birth-place. 

Unfortunately,  one  part  of  our  raiment  —  Arfretee's 
blue  frocks  —  was  deemed  a  sort  of  collateral  evidence 
against  us.  For,  curiously  enough,  an  American  sailor 
is  generally  distinguished  by  his  red  frock ;  and  an 
English  tar,  by  his  blue  one  :  thus  reversing  the  national 
colours.  The  circumstance  was  pointed  out  by  the 
captain ;  and  we  quickly  explained  the  anomaly.  But 
in  vain  :  he  seemed  inveterately  prejudiced  against  us ; 
and,  in  particular,  eyed  the  doctor  most  distrustfully. 

By  way  of  propping  the  latter's  pretensions,  I  was 
throwing  out  a  hint  concerning  Kentucky,  as  a  land  of 
tall  men,  when  our  Vineyarder  turned  away  abruptly, 
and  desired  to  hear  nothing  more.  It  was  evident  that 
he  took  Long  Ghost  for  an  exceedingly  problematical 
character. 

Perceiving  this,  I  resolved  to  see  what  a  private 
interview  would  do.  So,  one  afternoon,  I  found  the 
captain  smoking  a  pipe  in  the  dwelling  of  a  portly  old 
native,  one  Mai-Mai,  who,  for  a  reasonable  compensa- 
tion, did  the  honours  of  Partoowye,  to  illustrious 
strangers. 

His  guest  had  just  risen  from  a  sumptuous  meal  of 
baked  pig  and  taro  pudding ;  and  the  remnants  of  the 
repast  were  still  visible.  Two  reeking  bottles,  also, 
with  their  necks  wrenched  off,  lay  upon  the  mat.  All 
this  was  encouraging ;  for,  after  a  good  dinner,  one  feels 
affluent  and  amiable,  and  peculiarly  open  to  conviction 
So,  at  all  events,  I  found  the  noble  Vineyarder. 

I  began  by  saying,  that  I  called  for  the  purpose  of 
setting  him  right,  touching  certain  opinions  of  his  con- 
cerning the  place  of  my  nativity :  I  was  an  American, 


362  omoo. 

thaak  Heaven !  and  wanted  to  convince  him  of  the 
fact. 

After  looking  me  in  the  eye  for  some  time,  and,  by  so 
doing,  revealing  an  obvious  unsteadiness  in  his  own 
visual  organs,  he  begged  me  to  reach  forth  my  arm.  I 
did  so  ;  wondering  what  upon  earth  that  useful  member 
had  to  do  with  the  matter  in  hand. 

He  placed  his  fingers  upon  my  wrist ,  and  holding 
them  there  for  a  moment,  sprang  to  his  feet ;  and,  with 
much  enthusiasm,  pronounced  me  a  Yankee,  every  beat 
of  my  pulse ! 

"  Here,  Mai-Mai !  "  he  cried,  "  another  bottle  !  "  And, 
when  it  came,  with  one  stroke  of  a  knife,  he  summarily 
beheaded  it,  and  commanded  me  to  drain  it  to  the 
bottom.  He  then  told  me,  that  if  I  would  come  on 
board  his  vessel  the  following  morning,  I  would  find  the 
the  ship's  articles  on  the  cabin  transom. 

This  was  getting  along  famously.  But  what  was  to 
become  of  the  doctor? 

I  forthwith  made  an  adroit  allusion  to  my  long  friend. 
But  it  was  worse  than  useless.  The  Vineyarder  swore 
he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  him  —  he  (my  long 
friend)  was  a  "  bird  "  from  Sydney,  and  nothing  would 
make  him  (the  man  of  little  faith)  believe  otherwise. 

I  could  not  help  loving  the  free-hearted  captain  ;  but 
indignant  at  this  most  unaccountable  prejudice  against 
my  comrade,  I  abruptly  took  leave. 

Upon  informing  the  doctor  of  the  result  of  the  inter- 
view, he  was  greatly  amused  ;  and  laughingly  declared, 
th\t  the  Vineyarder  must  be  a  penetrating  fellow.  He 
the*  insisted  upon  my  going  to  sea  in  the  ship,  since  he 
well  knew  how  anxious  I  was  to  leave.  As  for  himself, 
on  setond  thoughts,  he  was  no  sailor;  and  although 
"landsmen"  very  often   compose    part   of   a   whaler's 


WHICH  ENDS   THE  BOOK.  363 

crew,  he  did  not  quite  relish  the  idea  of  occupying  a 
position  so  humble.  In  short,  he  had  made  up  his  mind 
to  tarry  awhile  in  Imeeo. 

I  turned  the  matter  over ;  and  at  last  decided  upon 
quitting  the  island.  The  impulse  urging  me  to  sea  once 
more,  and  the  prospect  of  eventually  reaching  home, 
were  too  much  to  be  resisted;  especially,  as  the  Levia- 
than was  so  comfortable  a  craft,  was  now  bound  on  her 
last  whaling  cruise,  and,  in  little  more  than  a  year's 
time,  would  be  going  round  Cape  Horn. 

I  did  not,  however,  covenant  to  remain  in  the  vessel 
for  the  residue  of  the  voyage ;  which  would  have  been 
needlessly  binding  myself.  I  merely  stipulated  for  the 
coming  cruise,  leaving  my  subsequent  movements  un- 
restrained ;  for  there  was  no  knowing  that  I  might  not 
change  my  mind,  and  prefer  journeying  home  by  short 
and  easy  stages. 

The  next  day  I  paddled  off  to  the  ship,  signed  and 
sealed,  and  stepped  ashore  with  my  "  advance "  — 
fifteen  Spanish  dollars,  tasselling  the  ends  of  my  neck- 
handkerchief. 

I  forced  half  of  the  silver  on  Long  Ghost ;  and  having 
little  use  for  the  remainder,  would  have  given  it  to 
Po-Po  as  some  small  return  for  his  kindness ;  but, 
although  he  well  knew  the  value  of  the  coin,  not  a 
dollar  would  he  accept. 

In  three  days'  time,  the  Prussian  came  to  Po-Po's,  and 
told  us  that  the  captain,  having  made  good  the  number 
of  his  crew,  by  shipping  several  islanders,  had  deter- 
mined upon  sailing  with  the  land-breeze  at  dawn  the 
following  morning.  These  tidings  were  received  in  the 
afternoon.  The  doctor  immediately  disappeared,  re- 
turning soon  after  with  a  couple  of  flasks  of  wine,  con- 
cealed in  the  folds  of  his  frock.     Through  the  agency 


364  omoo. 

of  the  Marquesan,  he  had  purchased  them  from  an 
understrapper  of  the  court. 

I  prevailed  upon  Po-Po  to  drink  a  parting  shell ;  and 
even  little  Loo,  actually  looking  conscious  that  one  of 
her  hopeless  admirers  was  about  leaving  Partoowye  for 
ever,  sipped  a  few  drops  from  a  folded  leaf.  As  for  the 
warm-hearted  Arfretee,  her  grief  was  unbounded.  She 
even  besought  me  to  spend  my  last  night  under  her 
own  palm-thatch ;  and  then,  in  the  morning,  she  would 
herself  paddle  me  off  to  the  ship. 

But  this  I  would  not  consent  to  ;  and  so,  as  some- 
thing to  remember  her  by,  she  presented  me  with  a  roll 
of  fine  matting,  and  another  of  tappa.  These  gifts 
placed  in  my  hammock,  I  afterwards  found  very  agree- 
able in  the  warm  latitudes  to  which  we  were  bound ;  nor 
did  they  fail  to  awaken  most  grateful  remembrances. 

About  nightfall  we  broke  away  from  this  generous- 
hearted  household,  and  hurried  down  to  the  water. 

It  was  a  mad,  merry  night  among  the  sailors :  they 
had  on  tap  a  small  cask  of  wine,  procured  in  the  same 
way  as  the  doctor's  flasks. 

An  hour  or  two  after  midnight,  everything  was  noise- 
less i  but  when  the  first  streak  of  the  dawn  showed 
itself  over  the  mountains,  a  sharp  voice  hailed  the  fore- 
castle, and  ordered  the  ship  unmoored.  The  anchors 
came  up  cheerily ;  the  sails  were  soon  set ;  and  with  the 
early  breath  of  the  tropical  morning,  fresh  and  fragrant 
from  the  hillsides,  we  slowly  glided  down  the  bay,  and 
were  swept  through  the  opening  in  the  reef.  Presently, 
"  we  hove  to,"  and  the  canoes  came  alongside  to  take 
off  the  islanders  who  had  accompanied  us  thus  far.  As 
he  stepped  over  the  side,  I  shook  the  doetor  long  and 
heartily  by  the  hand.  I  have  never  seen  or  heard  of 
him  since. 


WHICH  ENDS  THE  BOOK.  365 

Crowding  all  sail,  we  braced  the  yards  square ;  and, 
the  breeze  freshening,  bowled  straight  away  from  the 
land.  Once  more  the  sailor's  cradle  rocked  under  me, 
and  I  found  myself  rolling  in  my  gait. 

By  noon,  the  island  had  gone  down  in  the  horizon  ; 
and  all  before  us  was  the  wide  Pacific. 


THE  END. 


8     * 


AUi 


7n 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


fEB80  »» 


Y$> 


Mn 


OCT  1  6  2006 


-© 


SMAI 


Form 


V** 


3   1158  00030  9012 


•—J 


i: 


a 


t 


PLEA"  DO  NOT   REMOVE 
THIS  BOOK  CARD 


^•LIBRARY*; 


•£ 


University  Research  Library 


a 


